Jeonnam Province Bids for 2.7 Trillion Won National Hydrogen Specialized Complex Designation

Plans for the Nation’s Largest Complex at Daema Industrial Complex in Yeonggwang
Application Submitted for MOTIE Project
Stable Clean Hydrogen Production Targeted

Plan for Ecosystem Formation Based on Yeonggwang Clean Hydrogen Production Specialized Complex. Provided by Jeonnam Province

Jeonnam Province is making a full-fledged bid for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s “Hydrogen Specialized Complex Designation” project, with the goal of creating the “Southwest Coast Clean Hydrogen Energy Industry Belt.”

Jeonnam Province plans to establish the nation’s largest hydrogen specialized complex with a total project cost of 2.7 trillion won on the 25,000-pyeong rear site of the Daema Industrial Complex in Yeonggwang and the 70,000-pyeong Daema Industrial Complex itself. In the first phase, a 500MW-class clean hydrogen production facility will be built, with plans to expand up to 1GW in the future.

The core strategy of Jeonnam Province is to produce clean hydrogen economically and stably by utilizing carbon-free electricity.

Based on this, the province aims to form a cluster by 2030 that brings together domestic water electrolysis-related companies, advanced technology research institutes, and academia, thereby completing a full-cycle industrial ecosystem that covers hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization.

Jeonnam is considered the optimal location for clean hydrogen production, as it is the only region in the country with a nuclear power plant on the southwest coast and also possesses the highest level of renewable energy potential.

Unlike the existing hydrogen specialized complexes in Gangwon and North Gyeongsang Provinces, which focus on storage, transportation, or utilization, Jeonnam distinguishes itself by establishing a large-scale clean hydrogen production complex and alleviating power grid saturation issues, thereby also contributing to the revitalization of renewable energy.

In particular, more than 20 leading domestic hydrogen-related large and medium-sized companies have expressed their intention to participate in the Jeonnam project, significantly increasing the prospects for the project's success and designation as a specialized complex.

If Jeonnam is ultimately selected as a national hydrogen specialized complex, it is expected to make significant contributions to resolving power grid saturation and expanding renewable energy in the Honam region, supplying large-scale industrial clean hydrogen for applications such as hydrogen-based steelmaking, achieving national carbon neutrality, and establishing a new growth industry hub in the western region.

At a time when large-scale new investment in clean hydrogen by companies is difficult due to the downturn in the petrochemical industry, it is expected that the stable supply of affordable clean hydrogen from western Jeonnam to the Yeosu-Gwangyang Bay Area will enable both the production of clean hydrogen and the revitalization of the petrochemical and steel industries.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced a new call for hydrogen specialized complex designation in July. After receiving project plans from local governments and conducting presentation reviews, the final candidate site is expected to be selected in November.

Jung Hyungu, Director of the Energy Industry Bureau of Jeonnam Province, stated, "We will make every effort to attract the national hydrogen specialized complex to Jeonnam and foster the province as the center of the clean hydrogen new industry, making it a growth engine for the next 100 years of Jeonnam's future."

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