[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] UCI has successfully completed the demo test of Thaliaq (liquid hydrogen) and is partnering with Metavista, a liquefied hydrogen specialist company, to secure a leading position in the hydrogen market through building a green hydrogen value chain.
On the 11th, UCI announced that its subsidiary BioX signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Metavista, which succeeded in developing the world's first modular hydrogen liquefier, for joint research and technical cooperation related to hydrogen production and hydrogen liquefaction business.
Liquid hydrogen can reduce the volume of gaseous hydrogen to about 1/800, thus having 800 times the volumetric energy density compared to gaseous hydrogen at the same pressure. Since it can be stored at atmospheric pressure, it has advantages in terms of storage container safety, and its low temperature reduces explosion risks compared to conventional high-pressure gaseous hydrogen.
Metavista is the only domestic company possessing original and applied technologies related to hydrogen liquefaction, cryogenics, storage and transportation, and insulation. Led by Dr. Baek Jonghoon, who researched liquid hydrogen as an expert at NASA for over 15 years, the company also has world-leading experts in cryogenics and insulation such as James E. Fesmire, president of the American Cryogenic Engineering Conference and a top global expert in cryogenics and insulation. Dr. Baek split off HEXAR, a 100% subsidiary of Metavista, in early 2020 and currently serves as CTO (Chief Technology Officer).
Notably, Metavista succeeded in real-time filming of hydrogen phase changes among liquid, solid, and gas states at room temperature for the first time in the world. In April last year, it set a Guinness World Record in the remote control multicopter field by flying a liquid hydrogen drone for 12 hours and 7 minutes, drawing attention as a highly promising company leading future energy business.
Globally, only about four countries including the United States, Germany, France, and Japan have secured liquefied hydrogen technology. By succeeding in domestic production of high-efficiency small hydrogen liquefiers based on liquid hydrogen and cryogenic technology, Metavista can not only break away from dependence on overseas technology but also secure competitiveness in the global liquefaction market.
A company official said, “Recently, the government has designated green hydrogen as a core fuel to achieve carbon emission zero by 2050, accelerating the early activation of the hydrogen economy. Supported by this policy, demand for hydrogen production, transportation, and storage infrastructure is expected to increase. While gaseous hydrogen will play a major role in the early stages of the hydrogen economy, the need for liquid hydrogen is expected to grow in the mid to long term as large-scale hydrogen demand arises.”
He added, “As the hydrogen market is expected to expand, BioX, which can produce green hydrogen using waste resources, plans to create meaningful results by cooperating with Metavista, which possesses liquid hydrogen-related technologies applied in various industries such as automobiles, ships, and drones.”
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