[2021 Asia Construction Awards] SK Ecoplant Wins World's First Heat Supply Fuel Cell Power Generation Project

SK ecoplant, which received the Asia Economic Representative Award in the eco-friendly category at this year’s Asia Construction Comprehensive Awards, is completely transforming its corporate structure from a traditional construction company to an eco-friendly sector through its name change this year. A representative example is the expansion of its eco-friendly fuel cell business, ranging from clean power to heat supply. The company has the ambition to contribute to the creation of a domestic fuel cell industry ecosystem by discovering eco-friendly hydrogen energy business models utilizing hydrogen fuel cells.

In June, it also won the world’s first contract for a heat supply-type fuel cell power generation project. It secured the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contract for a 4.2 MW Bukpyeong Sports Center fuel cell power plant commissioned by Korea East-West Power Co., Ltd.

This project involves constructing a heat supply-type fuel cell power plant near the Bukpyeong Sports Center site located in Gumi-dong, Donghae City, in collaboration with Korea East-West Power and Donghae City to improve regional energy welfare, and is scheduled to be completed by June next year.

The power plant is distinguished by the fact that SK ecoplant has equipped Bloom Energy’s solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), which boasts world-class power generation efficiency, with a self-developed heat recovery module. Existing SOFC power plants could only supply electricity, but through the heat recovery module, heat emitted from the fuel cell is recovered to supply medium-temperature water above 100 degrees Celsius. An SK ecoplant official said, “While maintaining the existing power generation efficiency, the additional capability of heat supply is expected to renew the world’s highest level of energy efficiency once again.”

Once the power plant is completed and operates normally, it will simultaneously supply approximately 35,000 MWh of electricity and about 4,000 Gcal of heat annually. The produced electricity is enough to power about 7,000 households, and the heat is sufficient for about 300 households. The heat generated at the power plant will be supplied to the Bukpyeong Sports Center, scheduled to open next year, and will be used for heating and water supply for the building and swimming pool. SK ecoplant plans to contribute to improving the welfare of local residents and maximize energy efficiency through the power plant.

SK ecoplant will continue to advance the heat supply-type SOFC solution based on cooperation with Bloom Energy and plans to explore entry into the overseas combined heat and power generation market.

An official from SK ecoplant’s Hydrogen Business Promotion Team stated, “As the meaning of ecoplant is to plant tomorrow for the Earth, we will continue to strive to develop and expand clean hydrogen energy solutions that consider the environment.”

Meanwhile, SK Construction changed its name to SK ecoplant in May and declared its ambition to become the ‘Asia’s leading environmental company’ pioneering ESG (Environment, Social, Governance). SK ecoplant is a term combining ‘Eco,’ meaning eco-friendly, and ‘Plant,’ meaning to plant, embodying the aspiration to ‘plant eco-friendly ideas and innovative technologies for the Earth.’