Korea Aerospace University Leads Establishment of Energy Innovation Research Center
Developing Zero-Carbon Gas Turbine Technologies Using Hydrogen and Ammonia
Participation from Doosan Enerbility, Hanwha Aerospace, and Others
Korea Aerospace University announced on February 27 that it has been selected as the lead institution for the "Zero-Carbon Fuel Gas Turbine Design, Manufacturing, and Safety Innovation Research Center," as part of the energy workforce development program organized by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning.
Accordingly, starting this year, a total of 8.01 billion won will be invested over six years to establish the Energy Innovation Research Center (with Professor Jae-su Kwak of Korea Aerospace University as the lead researcher) on campus. The university will promote research and development in the field of gas turbines based on zero-carbon fuels and foster specialized talent in this area.
The Energy Innovation Research Center will serve as a national R&D hub for the design, manufacturing, safety, and operation technologies of gas turbines that utilize zero-carbon fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia.
The center's main research areas include securing technologies for materials, manufacturing, and quality evaluation of high-temperature components in preparation for the commercialization of zero-carbon fuel gas turbines; advancing system operation technologies such as digital twin applications; and developing compatibility technologies applicable during the transition to zero-carbon fuels. In addition, the center aims to systematize related safety and operation technologies, and will link research and education by fostering experts in these fields.
Gas turbines based on zero-carbon fuels are considered next-generation energy technologies that will support surging electricity demand in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and the growth of the aviation and defense industries. In particular, since Korea became a holder of power generation gas turbine technology in 2019, the localization of related technologies has accelerated, and the application of zero-carbon fuels is drawing attention as an area that further expands Korea's technological competitiveness.
This project will be led by Korea Aerospace University and operated as an industry-academia-research consortium, with participation from universities, industrial companies, government-funded research institutes, and energy public enterprises.
Inha University and Gangneung-Wonju National University will collaborate in education and research. Doosan Enerbility will support the development of industry-linked talent through the operation of internships and field training, participation in education by design professionals, and will also work on deriving development projects for zero-carbon fuel gas turbines and verifying research data.
In addition, government-funded research institutes such as Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Korea Institute of Energy Research, and Korea Aerospace Research Institute; energy public enterprises such as Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Korea Western Power; and energy and defense companies including Hanwha Aerospace will participate as partner organizations, supporting research exchange and talent development.
The lead researcher, Professor Jae-su Kwak, is an expert in the fields of gas turbines and thermofluids. He serves as Vice President of the Korean Society for Fluid Machinery and the Korean Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, and has served as the Director of the Hanwha Aerospace HUB Center at Korea Aerospace University.
Korea Aerospace University stated, "Through the operation of this Energy Innovation Research Center, we plan to systematically foster specialized talent in the design, manufacturing, and safety of zero-carbon fuel gas turbines, and contribute to producing key energy technology professionals who will lead the carbon-neutral era and strengthen the nation’s strategic technological competitiveness."
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