Pohang City Leads Hydrogen Economy by Creating a 'Hydrogen City'! ... Master Plan to Be Established by 2026

Establishment of Hydrogen Pipeline Network, Housing, Transportation, Infrastructure, and Regional Specialized Models

A bird's-eye view of the hydrogen city development plan in Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk-do.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Pohang City, Gyeongbuk Province, is promoting the ‘Hydrogen City Project’ to establish a foundation for an eco-friendly hydrogen energy industrial city.

Pohang City was recently selected as a final recipient of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s ‘2023 Hydrogen City Support Project,’ securing 1 billion KRW in national funding.

A ‘Hydrogen City’ refers to a healthy and clean city where citizens can experience urban innovation through the use of hydrogen as an energy source in core urban activities such as housing and transportation, demonstrating key infrastructure including fuel cells, hydrogen charging stations, hydrogen electric vehicles, and integrated operation platforms, along with regionally specialized industries.

The city plans to invest a total project cost of 41.6 billion KRW (20 billion KRW national funding, 6 billion KRW provincial funding, 14 billion KRW city funding, and 1.6 billion KRW private investment) to establish ▲ a master plan ▲ a hydrogen pipeline network (15.4 km) ▲ housing model ▲ transportation model ▲ infrastructure model ▲ and regional specialization model by 2026.

In 2023, the city will establish the hydrogen city master plan (MP) and conduct basic and detailed designs for the hydrogen pipeline network construction.

As a housing model, the project will install fuel cells in apartment complexes and public facilities to supply electricity and heat, proposing optimal hydrogen utilization solutions for various urban spaces through development and demonstration of model-specific fuel cells.

For the transportation model, existing city buses will be converted to eco-friendly hydrogen buses, and a hydrogen energy-based transportation system will be established in connection with the Ministry of Environment’s hydrogen charging station project.

As an infrastructure model, a 15.4 km hydrogen pipeline network will be constructed from POSCO’s by-product hydrogen production base to the hydrogen fuel cell cluster, and an integrated operation safety management center will be established for real-time management of hydrogen supply, storage, transportation status, and safety, thereby enhancing the safety of the hydrogen city.

The regional specialization model will develop and demonstrate hydrogen industry-related technologies that have not yet reached commercialization among domestic technologies, in connection with the hydrogen fuel cell cluster.

Kim Jeong-pyo, Director of the Future Strategic Industry Division, said, “To create a hydrogen city, we plan to do our best to ensure resident acceptance and safety through governance operation among the private sector, government, academia, and research institutes for the successful establishment of the hydrogen city.”

In January, the city enacted the ‘Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Hydrogen Industry in Pohang City’ for comprehensive and systematic fostering of the hydrogen industry, and is actively promoting the hydrogen industry through projects such as establishing the basic plan for hydrogen industry promotion in Pohang, developing domestic technologies for hydrogen fuel cell parts and materials, supporting the establishment of a hydrogen fuel cell certification center, and supporting hydrogen companies.

Additionally, the city plans to attract 30 fuel cell-related companies to the hydrogen fuel cell cluster to be established in the Pohang Blue Valley National Industrial Complex and establish a hydrogen technology support center to develop it into a hydrogen-specialized complex.

Through this, the city expects to complete an eco-friendly hydrogen energy industrial city where hydrogen, industry, and urban life converge by creating a hydrogen city and hydrogen fuel cell cluster.

Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang City, said, “As climate and environmental issues intensify, the hydrogen energy sector is gaining attention as a future growth industry. We will lead the hydrogen energy industry with hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen cities as the two main pillars.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.