Doosan Corporation Participates in Green Hydrogen Production Demonstration Project Utilizing Nuclear Power

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Doosan Corporation announced on the 6th that it is accelerating efforts to secure 'water electrolysis' technology, which is core to green hydrogen production using nuclear power plants.

On the same day, Doosan Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the 'Establishment of a Large-Scale Green Hydrogen Production Demonstration Complex' with Uljin County, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Korea Electric Power Technology, Seoul National University Nuclear Policy Center, and Future and Challenge. This agreement was promoted to contribute to national energy policy and to establish a technological foundation for large-scale green hydrogen production and demonstration. Doosan Corporation will be responsible for developing solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) technology to produce green hydrogen by utilizing steam generated from Uljin County’s nuclear power plant.

By electrolyzing steam generated by boiling water using waste heat, green hydrogen can be produced without carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Furthermore, once the development of the next-generation nuclear reactor, the Small Modular Reactor (SMR), is completed, SMRs can be constructed near hydrogen demand sites and SOEC technology applied to enable large-scale hydrogen production and reduce storage and transportation costs.

Lee Haewon, Vice President and Head of Doosan Corporation’s Hydrogen Economy Promotion Office, stated, "SOEC technology is more efficient than already commercialized alkaline electrolysis or polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis technologies," adding, "In the future, we plan to apply SOEC technology utilizing waste heat not only from nuclear power plants but also from combined heat and power plants, thermal power plants, and incinerators to produce large quantities of clean hydrogen."

In September, Doosan Corporation completed the development of a 10kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) for buildings and homes with world-class power generation efficiency. Together with Doosan Fuel Cell, the company is focusing on domestic production of core SOFC components such as cells and stacks, as well as the development of Korean-style SOFC system technology.