World's First 'HECS Demonstration Complex' in Hydrogen City Changwon... 2.4 MWh Power Production and Self-Sufficiency Starting Next Year

On the 20th, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the decentralized fuel cell power generation-based energy supply system at the Hydrogen Energy Circulation System (HECS) demonstration complex in Changwon-si, Gyeongnam.

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[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The hydrogen demonstration complex, which develops and verifies hydrogen new technologies across the entire cycle, will be completed for the first time in the world in Changwon, Gyeongnam.

On the 20th, the city held a groundbreaking ceremony for the energy supply system based on distributed fuel cell power generation, the 4th phase of the complex construction project, at the Hydrogen Energy Circulation System (HECS) demonstration complex.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Heo Seong-mu, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Jang Pil-ho, Head of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Lim In-mook, Executive Director of SK Ecoplant, and Jung Hoe, CEO of Gyeongnam Energy.

The HECS demonstration complex construction project has been promoted by Changwon City as a key hydrogen industry policy project since 2017.

The city planned the HECS demonstration complex construction project to foster the hydrogen industry as a future growth engine and to enable the demonstration of hydrogen full-cycle facilities and localization technologies developed by Changwon and domestic hydrogen companies.

In November 2018, the first phase project, Seongju hydrogen charging station, was completed, and in April 2021, the second phase project established the country's first hydrogen production base and hydrogen shipping facilities.

In August 2021, the demonstration of a domestically developed hydrogen charging system by a hydrogen company located in Changwon was conducted, and in January 2022, the third phase project, CO2 capture and reprocessing for blue hydrogen production, was launched.

In April this year, the energy supply system that demonstrates electric energy supply through hydrogen utilization was started, pushing forward all projects for the HECS demonstration complex construction.

The energy supply system project is a follow-up to the joint development agreement for the urban distributed fuel cell power generation project signed in December 2021. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, SK Ecoplant, Gyeongnam Energy, and Bukyung Environmental Technology will jointly build and operate the distributed fuel cell power generation system.

Once the energy supply system based on distributed fuel cell power generation using hydrogen is established, it will be able to produce and self-supply 2.4 MWh of electricity starting from 2023.

A city official explained, “New technologies for hydrogen production, transportation, storage, and utilization across the entire cycle will be developed and demonstrated at the world's first hydrogen demonstration complex.”

Changwon City plans to expand the production and self-supply of 2.4 MWh scale electricity demonstrated from the second half of 2023 to the entire city.

In accordance with relevant laws, support projects will be implemented in the area where the energy supply system is located, and various conveniences will be provided to local residents.

Mayor Heo Seong-mu said, “The energy supply system project based on distributed fuel cell power generation will present a new energy self-sufficiency model,” adding, “We will do our best to make Changwon a global hydrogen hegemony city and make the HECS demonstration complex its core icon.”

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