Seoul's Four Water Reclamation Centers Become Pollution-Free Renewable Energy Production Bases

Park Won-soon, 'Renewable Energy Virtual Network Construction' Business Agreement
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Installation is Key... Production of Electricity and Thermal Energy

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Four water reclamation centers in Seoul (Jungnang, Nanji, Seonam, Tancheon) will be transformed into the world's first renewable energy production bases with zero air pollutant emissions.

On the 29th, Seoul City announced that Mayor Park Won-soon and three city gas companies will sign a business agreement to establish a 'Renewable Energy Loop Network.'

The core plan is to install a 180 MW hydrogen fuel cell system at the water reclamation centers to create an energy circulation 'Renewable Energy Loop Network' by integrating biogas generated during sewage treatment with hydrogen technology. Biogas will be supplied to the hydrogen fuel cells to produce electricity and thermal energy; electricity will be supplied to households, and thermal energy will be used for sludge drying facilities within the centers or as a heat source for urban agriculture.

Hydrogen fuel cells are high-efficiency energy systems that produce electricity and heat through the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Compared to fossil fuel-based methods, they are eco-friendly energy sources with lower greenhouse gas emissions. There is no separate charging facility for hydrogen storage, and the hydrogen generated for fuel produces heat and electricity without other chemical reactions, eliminating explosion risks associated with storage and handling.

The city plans to complete installation by 2035 and will conduct a pilot project starting this year at the Jungnang Water Reclamation Center. Once all four centers are completed, they will produce electricity sufficient to supply 380,000 households and thermal energy sufficient for 80,000 households. This is also expected to reduce 376,577 tons of greenhouse gases and 17,461 tons of air pollutants annually.

Mayor Park said, "Sewage treatment plants, which have been perceived as undesirable facilities until now, will be transformed into clean energy production bases free of fine dust and air pollution. We will actively promote the early realization of completely pollution-free water reclamation centers that treat sewage water to the level of the Paldang Dam, a source of drinking water."