Energy Renaissance Hub City Pohang Gains Momentum as a Forward Base for Fuel Cell Exports

Pohang City Recognized for Vision and Capability as a Forward Base for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Export Industrialization

Targeting Attraction of 70 Companies by 2030, Generating 100 Billion KRW in Production, and Creating 3,600 Jobs

Pohang City has gained momentum to leap forward as the central city of the hydrogen fuel cell industry, leading the renaissance of eco-friendly energy in South Korea, following the preliminary feasibility study approval for the ‘Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cluster’.

Aerial view of the Pohang Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cluster.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok announced last month, amid the double celebrations of Pohang being designated as a specialized secondary battery complex and passing the preliminary feasibility study for the hydrogen fuel cell cluster construction project, that he would “realize battery patriotism (電池報國) following steel patriotism (製鐵報國).”

This vision reflects Pohang’s commitment to becoming the hub of South Korea’s battery industry by driving future new industry growth with two pillars: secondary batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, just as Pohang Steel led the country’s economic growth in the past under the ideology of “repaying the nation and its people through the steel industry.”

Pohang City, leveraging outstanding scientific research infrastructure such as POSTECH, POSCO Future Technology Research Institute, Pohang Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, the internationally accredited hydrogen fuel cell certification center, and continuous hydrogen industry development efforts in collaboration with Gyeongbuk Province and Pohang Technopark, successfully passed the preliminary feasibility study for the hydrogen fuel cell cluster on the 20th of last month after five years of preparation.

Notably, four months prior to this approval, in March, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced the ‘Energy Renaissance’ vision aiming to achieve cumulative fuel cell export volumes of 1GW and cumulative export value of 3 billion USD by 2030. At that time, Pohang’s continuous efforts were recognized, and Pohang was already identified as a key base for advancing the fuel cell industry ecosystem to realize the hydrogen cluster vision.

Accordingly, Pohang City has set a goal to attract 30 companies producing complete hydrogen fuel cell products and component materials within the cluster, and ultimately to attract a total of 70 companies by 2030, to achieve the government’s early target for fuel cell export industrialization as the center of South Korea’s ‘Energy Renaissance.’

The city forecasts that the cluster development will generate a production inducement effect of 107.7 billion KRW, a value-added inducement effect of 43.9 billion KRW, and employment for 3,658 people.

Furthermore, once the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power fuel cell power plant and FCI fuel cell production plant are constructed, Pohang plans to designate the ‘fuel cell-centered hydrogen specialized complex’ by linking the Blue Valley National Industrial Complex, the industrial agglomeration hub, with the Jigok R&D Complex, the center of technological research. If designated as a specialized complex, the government is expected to provide incentives for new industry creation and business sector transformation.

To establish a foundation for supplying clean hydrogen to hydrogen fuel cells, known as ‘third batteries’ that continuously generate electricity when fuel is injected, the city will support demonstration research for clean hydrogen production infrastructure in cooperation with research institutions such as Pohang Technopark.

Additionally, with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s ‘Hydrogen City Development Project’ constructing a dedicated hydrogen pipeline network connecting POSCO and the Blue Valley National Industrial Complex, Pohang is expected to build a genuine ‘clean hydrogen full-cycle ecosystem’ encompassing hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization industries.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok stated, “Pohang will advance as a forward base for fuel cell exports, achieving battery patriotism and South Korea’s eco-friendly energy renaissance.” He added, “However, to successfully establish the large-scale national project hydrogen cluster aimed at carbon neutrality and future new industry development, support such as national and provincial funding is crucial,” emphasizing the need for cooperation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Gyeongbuk Province, and related organizations.

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