SK's 'Hydrogen Purification Facility'
Doosan's 'Trygen' to Establish
Onsite Hybrid Energy Station
Overview graphic of SK Energy's hydrogen purification facility and the onsite hybrid energy station built using Doosan Fuel Cell's Trigen. Photo by SK Energy
[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] SK Energy and Doosan Fuel Cell are set to accelerate the establishment of an on-site combined energy station utilizing fuel cells capable of simultaneously producing hydrogen, electricity, and heat. On-site refers to a structure where hydrogen produced on location is immediately used for charging.
SK Energy, the petroleum business subsidiary of SK Innovation, announced on the 22nd that it signed a business agreement with Doosan Fuel Cell the previous day for the "demonstration of hydrogen production and utilization linked with hydrogen charging fuel cells and hydrogen purification facilities." This agreement concretizes the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the two companies in August last year for "joint technology development and commercialization using hydrogen charging fuel cells."
This MOU involves SK Energy supplying, operating, and maintaining hydrogen purification facilities independently developed by the company, while Doosan Fuel Cell will be responsible for supplying, installing, and maintaining the 'TriGen' system, which can simultaneously produce hydrogen, electricity, and heat based on fuel cells. SK Energy will also conduct demonstrations of the hydrogen purification facilities linked with TriGen.
The two companies plan to complete the demonstration of hydrogen production and charging facilities capable of producing high-purity hydrogen with a purity of 99.99% or higher by the first half of next year, and install a commercial on-site combined energy station capable of simultaneously charging electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles. The amount of hydrogen producible daily at one hydrogen charging station is approximately 1 ton, enough to charge about 200 hydrogen passenger cars or 30 hydrogen trucks. Additionally, electricity produced by TriGen can be used to charge electric vehicles (EVs), and if related laws such as the Electricity Business Act are revised in the future, it can also be utilized to build combined energy charging stations. Based on this, the two companies plan to cooperate step-by-step to expand hydrogen charging stations by 2026.
TriGen, developed by Doosan Fuel Cell, is a product utilizing a 440 kW phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC). It features competitively priced hydrogen supply for on-site hydrogen charging, flexible response to hydrogen demand for mobility, and convenience in EV charging.
SK Energy's independently developed hydrogen purification facility can produce high-purity hydrogen at 99.99% from low-purity hydrogen. Its advantages include miniaturization suitable for small-scale on-site use, reduced operating costs, operational efficiency through automatic control, and high hydrogen recovery rate. To charge hydrogen vehicles with hydrogen produced by TriGen, technology to increase hydrogen purity to 99.99% is essential.
Kang Dong-su, head of the S&P (Solution & Platform) SK Energy Promotion Team, said, "SK Energy is accelerating the platform transition to strengthen eco-friendly energy solutions and eco-friendly mobility service businesses at customer contact points such as Natruck House, gas stations, and charging stations. Through joint development of TriGen and hydrogen purification technology, we aim to optimally supply eco-friendly energy to customers by reducing power transmission and distribution losses and hydrogen distribution costs, and contribute to revitalizing the hydrogen economy."
Lee Seung-jun, head of sales at Doosan Fuel Cell, said, "Hydrogen charging fuel cells can be used not only for smooth hydrogen supply but also as distributed power sources, which can improve operational efficiency and profitability. Based on this project, we will prepare various plans to expand the distribution of TriGen products and establish them as a new revenue business."
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