Changwon Special City, Emerging as a Global Hub for the Hydrogen Industry

Requests for Hydrogen Industry Exchange from Overseas Countries Including UAE, Oman, and China

Mayor Hong Nam-pyo: "Leading the Hydrogen Industry by Supporting Companies' Overseas Expansion through Expanding International Exchange and Cooperati

As the second Hydrogen Day on November 2nd this year has been designated as a legal commemorative day next year, the hydrogen industry in Changwon, Gyeongnam Special City, is gaining global attention beyond South Korea.

At the ‘2nd Hydrogen Day’ commemorative event held on November 2nd at the 63 Convention Center in Seoul, a government award ceremony was held for contributors and companies/institutions that contributed to the activation of the hydrogen economy. At this event, the Changwon Hydrogen Full-Cycle Demonstration Complex construction and operation, hydrogen charging stations, and hydrogen mobility distribution projects promoted by Changwon City and the Changwon Industry Promotion Agency were recognized by the government.

Earlier in October, officials from the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport visited Changwon City to learn about its hydrogen policies and received a month-long hydrogen technology exchange program training. This has led to invitations to hydrogen-related events held locally in Abu Dhabi. In addition, over the past year, several countries including Oman, China, Malaysia, and Australia have requested exchanges and cooperation with Changwon’s hydrogen industry and visited the city.

Changwon, which marked the beginning of its hydrogen industry with the first hydrogen vehicle distribution in 2015, is now solidifying its position as a global hydrogen industry hub encompassing the entire hydrogen cycle of production, storage, transportation, and usage.

Oman Kamis Al Shamakio, Deputy Minister, visited Changwon.

◆ Changwon’s Hydrogen Industry Attracts Learners from Around the World

On October 27th, officials from the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport, who came to learn about Changwon City’s hydrogen policies, completed a four-week hydrogen technology training program prepared by Changwon City and returned to Abu Dhabi. To promote overseas exchange in the hydrogen industry, Changwon City formed a dedicated team at the Changwon Industry Promotion Agency and developed the H2TEP (Hydrogen Technology Education Program). Notably, Changwon is responsible for international technology exchange on hydrogen buses within the Green Bus Assessment (GBA) program, which supports the distribution and operation of electric and hydrogen buses in Abu Dhabi.

In this regard, Jit Fen Tock, Director of the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport, who visited Changwon City in October, delivered a letter of appreciation from the Abu Dhabi government for Changwon’s active hydrogen technology exchange and cooperation. He also officially invited Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon City, to the GBA inauguration ceremony held locally in Abu Dhabi on the 28th.

Changwon City’s status as a leading hydrogen industry city was widely recognized worldwide when it joined the presidential economic delegation as the only basic local government to visit Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in January. During President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit, at the ‘Korea-UAE Business Forum,’ Changwon City signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on mutual cooperation for hydrogen mobility distribution with the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport. Since then, Changwon has actively continued hydrogen industry exchanges with the Abu Dhabi government in the UAE.

On September 19th, Oman, a Middle Eastern country, visited Changwon City for hydrogen industry exchange. Kamis Al Shamaki, Deputy Minister of Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, toured Changwon’s hydrogen infrastructure and related companies and visited Changwon City Hall to discuss plans for hydrogen industry exchange and cooperation. Changwon City is reviewing ways to activate hydrogen industry exchanges and support company entry with Oman. Earlier in August, an economic delegation from Fuyang City, China, also visited Changwon to discuss cooperation in the hydrogen industry sector.

Changwon Special City Mayor Hong Nampyo opened the curtain for Changwon's hydrogen industry overseas expansion in the UAE.

◆ Changwon Writing a New History in the Hydrogen Industry

Changwon City is now moving beyond simple hydrogen consumption to implement a ‘Hydrogen Energy Circulation System Demonstration Complex’ project in Seongsu-dong, Seongsan-gu, the first of its kind in Korea, where the entire hydrogen energy cycle of production, storage, transportation, and utilization can be demonstrated in one place. This project consists of four phases: Phase 1 involves building a complex hydrogen charging station and demonstrating bus and mobile charging systems; Phase 2 establishes a small-scale hydrogen production base; Phase 3 conducts a carbon dioxide capture and utilization demonstration project; and Phase 4 creates a hydrogen-electricity fusion energy demonstration complex linked with solar power and fuel cell power plants. The project is characterized by integrating a complex hydrogen charging station, small-scale hydrogen production base, blue hydrogen carbon dioxide capture facilities, and fuel cell power plants to be executed in one location, with the final Phase 4 nearing completion.

Korea’s first liquefied hydrogen plant construction project is also underway in Changwon. Liquefied hydrogen can transport more than ten times the amount of hydrogen compared to gaseous hydrogen. Therefore, liquefied hydrogen production and supply technology is very important for efficient hydrogen production, supply, and future hydrogen industry development. The project is being promoted by HiChangwon, a special purpose corporation (SPC) jointly invested by the Changwon Industry Promotion Agency and Doosan Enerbility. The project, which began construction in July 2021, is nearing completion. Once operational, it is expected to produce and supply 5 tons of liquefied hydrogen daily and 1,700 tons annually.

◆ Future Prospects

In the era of climate crisis, the hydrogen industry is gaining global attention for achieving carbon neutrality and strengthening energy security. Reflecting this global trend, the world’s largest hydrogen industry exhibition, ‘H2 MEET 2023 (H2 Mobility Energy Environment Technology),’ held in September at KINTEX in Ilsan, concluded successfully with a record participation of 303 companies from 18 countries. Changwon City also operated the ‘Gyeongnam Province and Changwon City Hydrogen Industry Joint Pavilion’ to promote Changwon’s hydrogen energy industry achievements and specialized fields.

Hydrogen has advantages such as suitability for large-capacity energy storage and short charging times. As hydrogen heavy equipment is expected to replace existing diesel construction and industrial equipment, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is actively supporting research and development of hydrogen heavy equipment. In this regard, the country’s first ‘Integrated Hydrogen Mobility Hydrogen Charging Station’ is operating in Daewon-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon. The integrated hydrogen charging station can charge all hydrogen-fueled mobility including hydrogen passenger cars, hydrogen buses, hydrogen drones, and hydrogen construction machinery, greatly aiding the development and demonstration of various hydrogen mobility.

Additionally, in May, the Ministry of Environment announced plans to further expand the distribution of hydrogen vehicles, focusing on commercial vehicles such as chartered buses and commuter buses, linked with liquefied hydrogen production. Changwon City, having started hydrogen vehicle and hydrogen charging station distribution early, currently leads basic local governments in the number of hydrogen vehicles distributed and operates the most hydrogen charging stations (11 stations as of last October). With the infrastructure already in place, if more efficient hydrogen production and supply become possible through liquefied hydrogen production in the future, the distribution of hydrogen mobility in Changwon is expected to gain even more momentum.

Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, said, “Changwon’s hydrogen industry capabilities are internationally recognized to the extent that we receive requests for exchange and cooperation not only domestically but also from overseas.” He added, “We will do our best to support companies’ overseas expansion by establishing a foundation through strengthening global cooperation and to ensure that Changwon leads the hydrogen industry not only in Korea but also globally.”

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