The World's Largest Clean Hydrogen Facility Built in Boryeong, Companies and Local Governments Join Forces

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum (fifth from the left) is taking a commemorative photo at the "Blue Hydrogen Production Infrastructure Establishment Agreement Ceremony" held on the 26th at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, ahead of the 4th Hydrogen Economy Committee meeting. From the left, Minister of Environment Han Jeong-ae, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki, Mayor of Boryeong Kim Dong-il, Governor of Chungnam Yang Seung-jo, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, President of SK E&S Chu Hyung-wook, President of Korea Midland Power Kim Ho-bin, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Moon Seung-wook. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] A project to build an eco-friendly hydrogen production plant in Boryeong, Chungnam has taken its first step. SK E&S, Chungcheongnam-do, Boryeong City, and Korea Midland Power signed a memorandum of understanding on the 26th to cooperate in establishing an eco-friendly clean hydrogen production base.

According to the agreement, SK E&S will activate overall investment, operation, and business by establishing hydrogen production, distribution, and utilization infrastructure. Korea Midland Power will provide idle land at the coal ash disposal site and participate in investment and operation. Chungnam Province and Boryeong City will support financially and administratively, including attracting companies and nurturing manpower. SK E&S, which operates the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Korea in Boryeong, previously announced plans to invest 5 trillion won by 2025 to build the world's largest clean hydrogen plant with an annual capacity of 250,000 tons.

The company plans to eliminate carbon generated during the hydrogen production process at this plant by utilizing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The separately collected carbon dioxide will be stored in overseas abandoned gas fields owned by SK. The company expects that existing LNG infrastructure and CCS technological capabilities, Korea Midland Power's idle coal ash disposal site, and large-scale plant operation capabilities will organically combine in this process.

The signing ceremony was held as a pre-event of the 4th Hydrogen Economy Committee chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum. Government officials attending included Prime Minister Kim, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Moon Seung-wook, and Minister Han Jeong-ae. Attendees from the companies and local governments included SK E&S President Choo Hyung-wook, Chungnam Governor Yang Seung-jo, Boryeong Mayor Kim Dong-il, and Korea Midland Power President Kim Ho-bin. President Choo said, "The Boryeong clean hydrogen project is the starting point for the full-scale eco-friendly hydrogen era," adding, "We will steadily implement the hydrogen ecosystem creation strategy and establish Korea's carbon-neutral and eco-friendly hydrogen ecosystem early."