Namdong Power Plant's Yeosu Fuel Cell Facility Achieves 99% Utilization Rate Last Year, 'Highest in Korea'

15%P Increase in Utilization Rate in One Year

Fuel cell facility operated by Korea South-East Power Yeosu Power Plant Headquarters.

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The fuel cell facility operated by Korea South-East Power Yeosu Power Plant recorded a utilization rate exceeding 99% last year, achieving the highest level in the country. With the improvement in utilization rate, South-East Power expects operating profits to exceed the target by more than 30%.

South-East Power announced on the 21st that the utilization rate of the fuel cell at Yeosu Power Plant was 99.2% in 2021. This figure is more than 7 percentage points higher than the average utilization rate of 92% recorded by the top five domestic fuel cell operating companies in 2020, making it the highest utilization rate among domestic fuel cells. The Yeosu Power Plant fuel cell is a 10MW-class Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC) type, manufactured with the main unit supplied by Doosan Fuel Cell. Although the average power generation utilization rate was only 84% at the initial operation in 2020, it improved by more than 15 percentage points in just over a year.

A South-East Power official said, "This was possible due to systematic improvement efforts and the advantage of equipment manufactured with purely domestic technology," adding, "South-East Power prepared utilization rate improvement measures divided into direct maintenance, indirect maintenance, and inspection management, and applied them on site." By actively utilizing the advantages of equipment made with domestic technology and exchanging information with the manufacturer Doosan Fuel Cell's technical team, they were able to increase understanding of the equipment and stabilize the supply of utility facilities. Additionally, securing spare parts for key components was relatively easy, which reduced downtime, South-East Power explained. As a result, the utilization rate, which was only 84% in October 2020, increased to 96% in January last year, and reached an impressive 100.2% in July of the same year, showing an improvement in utilization rate.

South-East Power expects that profits generated from operating the fuel cell at Yeosu Power Plant will increase by about 31% compared to the original target due to the improved utilization rate. A South-East Power official said, "Based on the successful experience of operating the fuel cell at Yeosu Power Plant, each business site will not only strive for carbon neutrality but also undertake various initiatives to lead the activation of the hydrogen economy."