Hyundai E&C to build Korea's 1st electrolysis-based hydrogen plant

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. (Hyundai E&C) has broken ground on South Korea’s first hydrogen production plant using water electrolysis, as part of a government-backed clean energy project, the construction giant said on Thursday.

The plant will be built in the renewable energy production complex of Buan County, North Jeolla Province, by the end of this year and begin operations in May 2025. It aims to produce at least 1 ton of hydrogen per day with 2.5 megawatts of electricity.

Hyundai E&C said the plant will play a critical role in the state-backed hydrogen production project in Buan and provide the clean energy source to the county’s research labs and hydrogen charging stations.

Electrolysis is a process that uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. It is regarded as a sustainable form of carbon-neutral hydrogen production from renewable and nuclear resources.

“We are strengthening our capability to be a leader in the hydrogen plant market as we believe the chemical element, a key energy source for carbon neutrality, will drive the future energy industry,” said Hyundai E&C official.

“Hyundai E&C will proactively invest in hiring research and development experts and modernizing research facilities for the hydrogen, biogas and small modular nuclear reactor industries to drive the global clean energy transition,” the official added.

The construction giant has taken on the national project of water electrolysis-based hydrogen production together with the governments of North Jeolla Province and Buan, state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), Jeonbuk Techno Park, water treatment firm Techross Water & Energy Inc. and Techross Environmental Services Inc. since 2022.

Hyundai E&C completed plant design last December, the facilities of which will use polymer electrolyte membrane to produce 99.999% pure hydrogen, ensuring a safe, smooth operating system even in an emergency.

In addition to the facilities in Buan, Hyundai E&C has led the front-end engineering and design (FEED) of a hydrogen plant in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, and the conceptual design of a 12.5 megawatt hydrogen production facility on Jeju Island.

Write to Eun-Ji Shim at summit@hankyung.com

Jihyun Kim edited this article.