Selection of Project Implementer, Full Effort in Preparing Preliminary Feasibility Study
Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, is accelerating follow-up procedures such as selecting a project implementer following the designation of the Uljin Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex, a key project, as a new candidate site for a national industrial complex.
The national industrial complex is the highest-level industrial complex designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to foster national core industries and advanced industries. There are 52 such complexes nationwide, and in Gyeongbuk Province, excluding the Wolseong Power Complex established for nuclear power plants among 23 cities and counties, only two local governments, Pohang and Gumi, have such complexes.
The background for Uljin-gun’s ability to attract a national industrial complex is attributed to its shift in focus from the R&D demonstration complex project for nuclear hydrogen technology research, which had been pursued until now, to attracting a national industrial complex for industrial cluster formation, concentrating all administrative efforts.
Since the R&D demonstration complex is led by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), when five local governments with nuclear power plants compete, Uljin’s competitiveness in attracting the project is inevitably weak, and the economic ripple effect is also judged to be low. Therefore, under the 8th local government administration, Uljin-gun completely shifted the direction of its hydrogen project to attracting a national industrial complex.
Once the national industrial complex is established, it will not only include research facilities like the R&D demonstration complex but also have high utilization and significant economic ripple effects by concentrating domestic hydrogen-related large corporations and materials, parts, and equipment (MPE) industries, as well as establishing on-site workforce training facilities.
Additionally, it will be possible to build a value chain with KHNP and hydrogen-related large corporations, which is essential to utilize non-transmission power, a core aspect of nuclear hydrogen.
Accordingly, after submitting a proposal for the designation of a new national industrial complex candidate site in October last year, the county secured demand for occupancy and the feasibility of complex formation by signing investment agreements with eight hydrogen-related large corporations within just two months, resulting in the successful attraction of the national industrial complex.
Since the candidate site selection, County Governor Son Byung-bok plans to personally attend and present at the ‘Kickoff Meeting of the Government-wide Support Group for New National Industrial Complexes’ and the ‘Joint Briefing on the Selection of Project Implementers for New National Industrial Complexes,’ both hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to prioritize the selection of the project implementer.
After selecting the project implementer, the county has agreed to jointly respond with Gyeongbuk Province to secure additional occupancy demand and prepare local government support plans so that a preliminary feasibility study application can be submitted by September this year.
Building on the attraction of the national industrial complex, the county plans to accelerate related national projects such as the next-generation hydrogen production R&D project utilizing high-temperature water electrolysis, the hydrogen city development project, and the establishment of a hydrogen production base based on water electrolysis.
Through attracting the Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex, Uljin-gun expects a production inducement effect of 7.1 trillion KRW and an employment inducement effect of 24,000 people, anticipating that it will provide hope and vitality to the region as a major growth engine responsible for job creation, population inflow, and the future for the next hundred years.
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