[Upcoming Hydrogen Economy] Hyosung Completes Hydrogen Value Chain from Production to Storage Containers

Operation of 13,000t Hydrogen Liquefaction Plant in December
Linde Group Partners for Liquefied Hydrogen Refueling Stations
Production of Fuel Tank Liners and Carbon Fibers Also Planned

Two years after Chairman Cho Hyun-joon of Hyosung Group revealed the hydrogen business vision with the goal of "building a carbon-neutral Korea," Hyosung Group has completed the hydrogen value chain. The group now has a business portfolio covering the heavy chemical materials sector, from producing liquefied hydrogen to hydrogen charging stations and storage containers.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the hydrogen liquefaction plant held in June 2021 at the Yongyeon Plant in Ulsan, Chairman Cho presented the hydrogen business vision, stating, "Hydrogen energy is the foundation of an energy revolution that will change the future of humanity, and we will lead the paradigm shift to hydrogen energy through continuous investment." This hydrogen liquefaction plant is scheduled to begin operations this December.

Chairman Cho Hyun-joon of Hyosung (right) signed a "Green Hydrogen Industry Promotion Business Agreement" with Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, at the Jeollanam-do Provincial Office in Muan, Jeollanam-do, on January 24, 2022, to produce the largest amount of green hydrogen in Korea.

The hydrogen liquefaction plant liquefies hydrogen that is produced as a byproduct during the process of making propylene from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). It can produce 13,000 tons of liquefied hydrogen annually, which is enough to charge 100,000 hydrogen vehicles at once. Liquefied hydrogen has a volume only about 1/800th that of hydrogen in its gaseous state, making it easy to store and transport. Charging liquefied hydrogen into hydrogen vehicles takes about 3 minutes, which is approximately four times faster than the 12 minutes required for gaseous hydrogen.

Hyosung partnered with Linde Group, the world's number one industrial gas company, to advance its hydrogen business. Linde is recognized for possessing world-class liquid hydrogen production technology. Hyosung Heavy Industries and Linde established a production joint venture, Linde Hydrogen Energy, to promote the liquefied hydrogen business.

Alongside the completion of the hydrogen liquefaction plant, a liquid hydrogen charging station will also be built. The sales joint venture Hyosung Hydrogen will handle this. The first charging station will be established in Ulsan City, and in line with the government's policy to promote large commercial hydrogen vehicles, the goal is to build more than 30 large liquid hydrogen charging stations nationwide. In the long term, there are plans to supply hydrogen to drones, ships, forklifts, and other applications. With two joint ventures for production and sales, it appears that Linde, as much as Hyosung, is placing high hopes on the growth of the domestic hydrogen business.

Hyosung Heavy Industries has been engaged in the hydrogen charging station business since 2008. Based on heavy industry technology accumulated over 50 years, Hyosung Heavy Industries entered the compressed natural gas (CNG) charging business in 2000 and expanded it into the hydrogen business. The opportunity arose when Hyundai Motor Company proposed the hydrogen charging station project at its Namyang Research Center in Hwaseong in 2008.

Since then, in 2019, the first commercial charging station in Seoul, located at the National Assembly, was established, and Hyosung Heavy Industries developed and localized components such as chargers, cooling systems, and compression packages. The hydrogen charging stations built by Hyosung Heavy Industries operate at 700 bar pressure and can charge more than five hydrogen vehicles per hour. Data analysis based on charging results enables monitoring of charging status and rapid identification of causes in case of problems. So far, 37 charging stations have been built at highway rest areas and other locations, with 18 more under construction.

Hyosung TNC has become the first domestic company to develop and utilize nylon for hydrogen car fuel tank liner materials using proprietary technology. A scene explaining the nylon liner resin at the hydrogen specialized exhibition H2 MEET held last August.

Hyosung Group is expanding its hydrogen business area by leveraging its strength as a materials company. In September last year, Hyosung TNC succeeded in developing nylon used for the inner liner of hydrogen fuel tanks. The liner is a key component that stores hydrogen and prevents leakage.

Hyosung TNC's nylon material offers superior lightness, gas barrier properties, and impact resistance compared to metals or polyethylene, which were previously used as liner materials. It is 70% lighter than metal materials and has more than 50% higher gas barrier performance than polyethylene. Additionally, while metals can become brittle and prone to cracking after prolonged contact with hydrogen, nylon does not carry this risk.

Hyosung Advanced Materials produces carbon fiber used in hydrogen fuel tanks. In 2011, Hyosung Advanced Materials became the fourth company in the world to independently develop carbon fiber and built a carbon fiber plant with an annual capacity of 2,000 tons in the Jeonju Eco-friendly Industrial Complex. Through two expansions, the current production capacity has increased to 6,500 tons per year, and the company plans to invest 1 trillion won by 2028 to increase capacity to 24,000 tons annually.

Hydrogen fuel tanks must withstand high pressure, so carbon fiber is mainly used. Carbon fiber is ten times stronger than steel but weighs only about one-quarter as much. Hydrogen fuel tanks made with carbon fiber are lighter than conventional metal tanks, improving vehicle driving performance and reducing exhaust emissions.

A Hyosung official said, "We plan to continue research and development to produce hydrogen based on green hydrogen generated from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, beyond byproduct hydrogen, and to localize the equipment."

Hyosung Advanced Materials Jeonju Plant Panorama

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