UCI Passes the Critical Stage for Green Hydrogen Commercialization... Hydrogen Production Pilot Test 'Smooth Sailing'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] UCI has completed the initial production of hydrogen via water electrolysis using waste resources, surpassing a critical milestone toward the commercialization of green hydrogen.

On the 17th, UCI announced that the green hydrogen initially produced domestically by its subsidiary BioX and the US-based EAT (Electro-Active Technologies) reached a purity of 99.9%. With the quality and efficacy of the hydrogen production pilot test verified, BioX and EAT plan to proceed with scale-up testing for mass production of the prototype, accelerating the schedule for the commercialization of Korea-style green hydrogen.

The green hydrogen production technology being developed by EAT and BioX is the world’s first microbial electrolysis process, a hydrogenation technology utilizing food waste.

Compared to methods pursued by some countries and companies that separate and purify biogas (methane, carbon dioxide, various impurities, etc.) generated from food waste and convert it into hydrogen energy, EAT’s technology simplifies the hydrogen production process while maximizing hydrogen purity, offering superior economic efficiency.

Additionally, the production facility construction does not require large-scale investment or extensive space. The small-scale modular vertical and horizontal parallel construction increases investment cost efficiency and space utilization, enabling rapid commercialization, which is its most significant feature.

A company official stated, “Green hydrogen produced by microbial electrolysis can efficiently utilize waste resources such as food waste, which involves treatment costs and environmental issues, while capturing the dual benefits of establishing a low-cost, eco-friendly hydrogen business model. In line with the ‘hydrogen economy’ roadmap actively promoted not only by our government but globally, we plan to build an eco-friendly hydrogen production portfolio and create a stable revenue model.”

Furthermore, UCI plans to hold meetings with food waste treatment facility officials in Seoul together with Dr. Borole from EAT, who is currently conducting pilot tests in Korea, and the BioX research team to discuss business cooperation. They aim to develop practical commercialization strategies and expand industry-academia-research cooperation with government ministries and public institutions.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is reportedly promoting a ‘pilot project for hydrogen hybrid charging stations using biogas’ to implement the ‘Hydrogen Economy Activation Roadmap.’ In collaboration with domestic research institutes and the Food Waste Bioenergy Center, a consortium has been formed, and over the next three years, 9.3 billion KRW in national funding will be provided to propose and operate a business model linked to hydrogen supply projects.