Gyeongbuk Province announced that the Pohang Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cluster, which has been promoted to respond to climate change and achieve carbon neutrality, has been designated as the ‘Gyeongbuk Pohang Hydrogen Fuel Cell Specialized Complex’ to secure a future super-gap competitiveness in the hydrogen fuel cell industry.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy comprehensively evaluated factors such as hydrogen industry concentration, infrastructure establishment, regional industry linkage potential, and ripple effects based on the development plan submitted by Gyeongbuk Province in June. On the 1st, the Hydrogen Economy Committee chaired by the Prime Minister deliberated and approved the designation.
The hydrogen specialized complex is a designated area under Article 22 of the ‘Act on the Promotion of Hydrogen Economy and Hydrogen Safety Management’ to support the concentration of hydrogen businesses and support facilities, as well as the development and dissemination of hydrogen electric vehicles and fuel cells. It can receive support for infrastructure construction, company settlement and attraction, and company growth and investment.
The newly designated hydrogen specialized complex is located within a 280,240㎡ site in the Pohang Blue Valley National Industrial Complex, which is being established as the nation’s first fuel cell cluster. The vision is to lead the hydrogen fuel cell industry as a national future growth industry by strengthening global competitiveness in hydrogen fuel cells.
First, to establish a production and export hub for hydrogen fuel cells leading the global market, by 2028, infrastructure for verifying fuel cell parts and materials and a demonstration base for MW-class fuel cell systems will be secured. By 2035, the plan is to build a value chain for upstream and downstream hydrogen fuel cell parts and materials industries, nurture 20 small and medium-sized enterprises linked to materials, parts, and equipment, and achieve 100% localization of parts and materials to enhance global competitiveness.
To respond to future environmental changes and ensure full-scale operation of the hydrogen specialized complex, support will be gradually strengthened through regulatory improvements for resident companies, expedited processing of various permits and approvals, preferential subsidies for relocation to the metropolitan area, and allowance of negotiated contracts for industrial complex settlement.
In particular, to build a virtuous ecosystem through linkage and cooperation, synergy effects will be created by discovering joint R&D projects and developing support cooperation models. Developed technologies will be demonstrated and commercialized through pilot projects for dissemination. To address manpower shortages, nearby universities will be secured as manpower training hubs, and customized internship programs tailored to resident companies’ needs will be developed.
Yang Geum-hee, Deputy Governor for Economy of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, “We will do our utmost to nurture prospective hydrogen specialized companies and attract core companies in the hydrogen sector through the designation of the hydrogen specialized complex.” She added, “By systematically fostering the hydrogen industry as a future growth engine and realizing carbon neutrality, Gyeongbuk Province will take the lead in driving South Korea to become the world’s number one hydrogen economy.”
Meanwhile, Uljin County in Gyeongbuk Province was selected in May for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s preliminary hydrogen specialized complex planning project competition and is currently promoting the ‘Nuclear Power Large-Capacity Clean Hydrogen Production Cluster Project Planning and Feasibility Study Service.’
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