May 01, 2024

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Hyundai Engineering & Construction's logo (Hyundai Engineering & Construction)

Hyundai Engineering & Construction said Tuesday it has completed the basic design of the nation’s first water electrolysis-based hydrogen production plant.

Since last year, the company has been working on the new plant located within an industrial complex in Buan, North Jeolla Province, as part of a project promoted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Converting electricity into hydrogen by splitting water is a promising strategy that addresses the issue of excess renewable energy. The plant, capable of producing a metric ton of hydrogen per day, will store and distribute them to local hydrogen charging stations for mobility.

Being responsible for the design, equipment, and construction of the production base, Hyundai E&C has hired key experts to draw the optimal master plan for this project, the company said.

The company has adopted 2.5-megawatt Polymer Electrolyte Membrane electrolyzers to meet new uses of hydrogen in mobility as well as high availability infrastructure to operate the plant with minimal or zero downtime.

Hyundai E&C is waiting for the construction consent and is expected to finish the detailed design of the new hydrogen production base by the end of the year. While starting off the construction next year, it aims to produce clean hydrogen by May 2025.

“In addition to clean hydrogen, we are striving to invest and establish infrastructures for diverse alternative energy such as small modular reactors, carbon dioxide capture utilization and storage, and biogas,” said a Hyundai E&C official.

“Starting with the realization of the water electrolysis-based hydrogen production base project, we aim to lead the future green industry.”

By Mun So-jeong  (munsojeong@heraldcorp.com)