Changwon Special City Begins Korea's First Liquefied Hydrogen Production and Supply

The Nation's First and World's 9th 'Changwon Liquefied Hydrogen Plant' Completed with Government Support

Liquefied hydrogen production and supply will begin for the first time in Korea in Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam.

On the 31st, Changwon City held a completion ceremony for the country's first liquefied hydrogen plant at the Changwon Liquefied Hydrogen Plant site located at Doosan Enerbility's Changwon factory. The event was attended by Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, the Hydrogen Economy Policy Officer from the Ministry of Industry, the Director of the Industry Bureau of Gyeongnam Province, and many representatives from domestic hydrogen research institutes and companies.

The inauguration ceremony of the country's first liquefied hydrogen plant was held in Changwon.

Hydrogen generally exists as a gas at room temperature, but when converted to liquefied hydrogen at minus 253°C, it can store eight times more hydrogen in the same space compared to gaseous hydrogen. Due to its ultra-high purity characteristics, liquefied hydrogen is utilized in various industries in advanced countries overseas, including as propulsion fuel for space launch vehicles and rockets, fuel for manufacturing polyethylene and polypropylene, reducing and preventing oxidation of metal oxides in the metallurgical industry, and for manufacturing hydrogen fluoride in semiconductor production processes.

In particular, liquefied hydrogen has been produced and used only in advanced countries with developed space industries such as the United States, Russia, and France, as it is used as propulsion fuel for large space launch vehicles that transport heavy cargo.

The city judged that liquefied hydrogen is necessary in the long term for large-scale hydrogen production and supply in future hydrogen cities. Since being selected as the lead organization for the government’s ‘Industrial Complex Environmental Improvement Fund Project’ in 2020 through its invested and supported institution, Changwon Industry Promotion Agency, the city has supported the liquefied hydrogen plant construction project by investing a total of 95 billion KRW. To localize major equipment, domestic technology was actively introduced for auxiliary equipment and liquefied hydrogen transfer and storage facilities, excluding the main equipment.

The Changwon Liquefied Hydrogen Plant produces high-purity gaseous hydrogen by reforming natural gas, then cools it to minus 253°C through the core equipment called the cold box to produce liquefied hydrogen for the first time in Korea. It produces and supplies 5 tons per day and up to 1,825 tons annually of liquefied hydrogen.

At the liquefied hydrogen plant completion ceremony, agreements were signed for ▲ liquefied hydrogen refueling station and commuter bus conversion, ▲ liquefied hydrogen purchase, and ▲ liquefied hydrogen refueling station construction and liquefied hydrogen purchase.

Mayor Hong said, “As Changwon has led domestic hydrogen policy and industry, we judged that liquefied hydrogen production and supply are necessary for a true hydrogen city, and as a result of actively promoting the project, we take pride in unveiling the country’s first and the world’s ninth liquefied hydrogen plant today.” He added, “In particular, through the production and supply of liquefied hydrogen, which has very large storage and transportation capacity, we will not only support the development of high-performance hydrogen mobility but also contribute to the development and revitalization of industries such as chemical, semiconductor, and space launch vehicles that require liquefied hydrogen. We will do our best to ensure that Changwon leads the development of the domestic hydrogen industry through liquefied hydrogen.”