[Haichuan Hydrogen Energy] Korean shipbuilding and marine industry team up with U.S. companies to establish a hydrogen value chain for producing 250,000 tons of blue hydrogen per year
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This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2023-5-6 at 15:46. On April 26, during South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s visit to the United States, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy organized an event titled “Korea-U.S. Partnership in Advanced Industries and Clean Energy.” HD Hyundai Heavy Industries & Marine, together with American company General Electric (GE), fuel cell leader Plug Power, and South Korean energy company SK E&S, signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding investment cooperation in projects related to the entire lifecycle of blue hydrogen production, distribution, and utilization. This agreement was established to introduce into South Korea’s hydrogen value chain at an early stage the core technologies of American companies such as hydrogen turbine engines and hydrogen fuel cells, in order to promote the development of South Korea’s hydrogen industry and accelerate the achievement of global carbon neutrality goals. Under the agreement, the relevant parties plan to establish a hydrogen value chain in South Korea that will produce, distribute, and utilize 250,000 tons of blue hydrogen per year. It is reported that Chung Ki-sun, the representative director and president of HD Hyundai Group (formerly Hyundai Heavy Industries Group), has officially announced the establishment of a blue hydrogen business in the United States. In March 2021, HD Modern Group released the \"Hydrogen Dream 2030 Roadmap,\" designating the hydrogen industry as one of the key drivers for future growth. The goal is to establish a hydrogen value chain for production, transportation, storage, and utilization of hydrogen, both on land and at sea, by 2030, in order to create an environmentally friendly hydrogen ecosystem in both terrestrial and marine environments. This hydrogen energy value chain is divided into five parts: offshore power generation, hydrogen production infrastructure, offshore transportation, storage, and consumption. With the acceleration of global decarbonization policies, global carbon capture is expected to approach 7.6 billion tons by 2050. According to projections by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the amount of carbon dioxide collected globally will increase from the current 44 Mt (megatons) to 1.2 Gt (gigatons) by 2030, and to 6.2 Gt by 2050 ； By 2070, 15% of global carbon dioxide emission reductions will be achieved through carbon capture, utilization, and storage. If related operations are fully launched in the future, the demand for carbon dioxide transportation will increase significantly. Therefore, demand for LCO2 transport ships is also expected to surge sharply. The role of LCO2 transport ships is to carry carbon dioxide generated in power plants, steel mills, and other such facilities to liquefaction and storage facilities.
Under the agreement, to ensure the safe transportation of carbon dioxide collected during blue hydrogen production, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Marine will accelerate the development of large-capacity liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) transport ships. To date, the world’s first 40,000 cubic meter liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) carrier developed by the company has received an Approval in Principle (AiP) certificate from the Korean Register of Shipping (KR), as well as design approval from Lloyd’s Register of Shipping (LR) in the UK ； The 74,000 cubic meter-class liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) carrier developed by this company in collaboration with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Glovis, and G-Marine Service has received an Approval in Principle (AIP) certificate issued jointly by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Marshall Islands Ship Registry (MIR) ； A 30,000 cubic meter-class liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) carrier has received a Principle Approval (AIP) certificate issued jointly by the British Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the Liberian Maritime Authority (LiMA), paving the way for the development of technologies for the maritime transport of carbon dioxide. Under the agreement, General Electric of the United States will apply hydrogen-blended and pure combustion turbine technology to power plants in South Korea, building on its original gas turbine technology and advancing its commercialization. The first step is to develop highly efficient gas turbines capable of approximately 50% hydrogen blending and introduce them to South Korea. Plug Power plans to establish a joint venture with SK E&S to build a Giga-Factory for the production of fuel cells and water electrolysis equipment in Incheon, South Korea, and to use the fuel cells produced there for generating clean hydrogen power. SK E&S plans to start producing blue hydrogen, which uses carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to remove carbon dioxide, from 2026, and to supply hydrogen for power generation and use in vehicles across South Korea through gas hydrogen pipelines and liquefied hydrogen refueling stations. Cho Sock, president of Hyundai Electric & Energy Systems, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said at the signing ceremony: “HD Hyundai Group’s development of blue hydrogen business in the United States will lead the growth of South Korea’s hydrogen industry and help achieve carbon neutrality.” Building on its technical expertise in shipbuilding and ocean-related fields, the company will strive to contribute to the development of a clean energy ecosystem. ”