Hanwha has made it a priority to address environmental issues, nurture its workforce talent, and provide transparent governance.

ESG in Action

Environmental

We are taking on environmental challenges and pursuing
technologies that make a difference

In a range of industries, including manufacturing, finance, retail, and services, we are creating a new business model that responds effectively to environmental issues and fosters a sustainable future. By utilizing our technologies and capabilities spanning clean energy solutions, circular economy development, and energy use and carbon emission reduction, each Hanwha affiliate is proactively pursuing eco-friendly management to minimize environmental impact and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Eco-friendly Technology Expansion

We are leading the way in renewable energy markets including solar, hydrogen, and wind power. Capitalizing on our cutting-edge technology and production capacity, we are developing a range of new, innovative business models in response to the evolving electricity market as we endeavor to become a total energy solutions provider in all clean energy arenas.

Hanwha provides cutting-edge solar solutions to markets worldwide.
01. Solar energy

Through our portfolio of cutting-edge solar solutions, we have established ourselves as a solar modules leader in major renewable energy markets worldwide. In addition, we are involved in solar power plant projects in the U.S. and Europe and are expanding our value chain to downstream retail electricity and distributed energy solutions businesses. By setting new standards in the efficiency of next-generation perovskite-silicon tandem cells and modules, we continue to sharpen our capabilities and deepen our expertise.

Hanwha set a world record running an 80-MW gas turbine fueled by 60 percent hydrogen.
02. Hydrogen energy

Generated using renewable energy such as solar or wind power, green hydrogen is a clean energy source that does not emit carbon in the production process. We are building a comprehensive value chain of green hydrogen — one that encompasses everything from production and storage to delivery and utilization. Our advanced technology, capabilities, and experience will produce high-quality green hydrogen and provide the ultimate eco-friendly energy at a reasonable price.

Hanwha's wind power techology is capable of operating from offshore locations in addition to on land.
03. Wind energy

Leveraging our longstanding experience in engineering, procurement, and construction for wind power complexes, we are strengthening the wind power industry by establishing a forward-looking value chain that spans business development and operation as well as management and investment. Our business extends to offshore wind farms is currently constructing a state-of-the-art Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (WTIV) with the capacity to install ultra-large wind turbines in offshore locations.  We are also engaged in developing floating offshore wind power substructures and offshore substations for global energy companies operating in the South Korean market.

Eco-friendly Industrial Ecosystem Creation

Hanwha is creating an eco-friendly industrial ecosystem by harnessing world-class green technologies. Our goal is to establish a truly circular economy that meaningfully reuses resources rather than letting them degrade over time, as they often do via more traditional recycling methods. Our plastics-to-chemicals (PTC) technologies go beyond the rudimentary recycling of petroleum-based compounds like plastics, breaking them down to create chemicals that can be utilized straight away in a variety of industrial processes. We produce eco-friendly products, including plastics which have a minimized impact on natural environments, as well as plasticizers without environmental hormones. In addition, we are boosting our eco-friendly investments with coal-free financing while promoting carbon neutrality.

Hanwha's eco-friendly technologies and products include bridge fuel solutions that help us move closer to net-zero shipping.
01. Developing eco-friendly technologies and products

We are striving to develop eco-friendly technologies and products that minimize environmental impact and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Hanwha Solutions Chemical Division has developed ECO-DEHCH*, a premium, eco-friendly, phthalate-free plasticizer that complies with the EU Food Contact Materials Regulation. Registered in EU REACH, it meets rigorous quality testing standards. We are also advancing eco-friendly mobility with ultra-high-pressure hydrogen fuel tanks using ultra-light composite materials. Hanwha TotalEnergies Petrochemical, meanwhile, has developed eco-friendly products, including PP products that are phthalate- and BPA-free.

Hanwha Ocean has expanded the potential of LNG as a bridge fuel that can help us move toward a carbon-free world by commercializing technologies such as re-liquefaction processes and high manganese steel LNG fuel tanks, which minimize losses during natural gas operations. In addition, our energy saving devices — including an air lubrication system and the industry’s first localized shaft generator motor system — contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by maximizing ship operational efficiencies.

Novoloop Oistre is an eco-friendly TPU made from plastic waste using proprietary ATOD technology.
02. Building a circular economy

We aim to create a circular economy that works. First, we are improving the efficiency of resource use throughout the production process, from acquiring raw materials to the actual consumption of products. We salvage resources as much as possible through recycling after use and will lead the way to a plastics circular economy with our differentiated technologies, including plastics-to-chemicals (PTC) technologies for waste plastics and bioplastics. Hanwha Solutions Chemical Division is establishing a commercial plant to convert waste plastics into raw materials using PTC technology. We are also developing bioplastic production technology using biomass-based raw materials with the eventual goal of full-fledged commercial production.

Hanwha Corporation E&C signed a concession agreement for a Daejeon Sewage Treatment Plant Modernization Project,
03. Expanding coal-free financing

Hanwha’s six financial affiliates, including Hanwha Life, have made a joint commitment to support carbon-free power. They all refuse to fund construction of any coal-fired power plants or underwrite bonds that would finance such construction. They also do not underwrite bonds issued by special-purpose companies (SPCs) that have been established to build coal-powered plants locally or abroad. In addition, these companies have committed to expanding investments in environmentally friendly assets, such as renewable energy sources. Through these commitments, we are leading change in investment standards and supporting the transition to eco-friendly energy through coal-free financing.

Better Environmental Management

At Hanwha, we are increasing our use of low-carbon energy and minimizing environmental impact at all stages of corporate management to sharpen our response to climate change. We are actively engaging in a range of international and national initiatives that reduce energy and carbon emissions, and our affiliates are working to implement low-carbon and eco-friendly management methods, including the installation of solar power generation facilities at business sites and the expansion of renewable energy use.

Hanwha's participation the in K-RE100 and K-EV100 campaigns is a commitment to completely transition to renewable energy sources.
01. Commitment to the K-RE100 and K-EV100 initiatives

Hanwha Solutions Qcells Division has declared its participation in K-RE100*, making it the first South Korean renewable energy company to do so. By 2050, we plan to generate 100% of our electricity using renewable energy sources. Hanwha Solutions and Hanwha TotalEnergies Petrochemical, meanwhile, have both joined the K-EV100 campaign to replace 100% of owned or leased corporate vehicles with electric or hydrogen vehicles by 2030.

*K-RE100: A voluntary campaign for companies to generate 100% of the electricity they use from renewable sources such as solar and wind power.

Hanwha Energy operates numerous solar-power projects around the world.
02. Recycling solar panels

Through increasing global interest and investments in solar energy, solar panel installation is rapidly increasing. Accordingly, concerns are growing about the carbon dioxide generated during solar module production and how to dispose of solar panel waste. Hanwha is working to solve these waste issues and contribute to a circular economy through the reuse and recycling of solar modules. As a responsible solar energy producer, Hanwha Solutions Qcells Division has committed to an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for solar panels — first implemented in 2023 — by establishing a waste panel recycling system and eco-friendly recycling.

Hanwha Solutions Qcells Division's Q.PEAK solar panels attached to Hanwha headquarters building.
03. Operating eco-friendly workplaces

Every individual Hanwha affiliate is introducing low-carbon, eco-friendly operations that seek to optimize sustainability and minimize the environmental impact of business sites and facilities. At the Hanwha Headquarters building, we generate electricity and use it for office lighting via an all-in-one solar power system and solar panels installed on the roof. We also use electricity generated by solar power at our business sites around the country, including the Hanwha Life Life Park training center, the Hanwha data center, Hanwha Life Eagles park, and the Galleria Luxury Hall. Going forward, we will strengthen low-carbon and eco-friendly operations in our workplaces by building eco-friendly power generation facilities, including solar power.

Eco-friendly Value

As a world-class solar energy enterprise, our mission is to achieve sustainable growth by sharing eco-friendly values. That’s why we have committed to eco-friendly programs and are inviting people to join the energy revolution through activities that counteract climate change and help the environment. With campaigns such as Hanwha Solar Forest, Making a Clean School, Solar Beehive, Clean Up Mekong, and more, we are strengthening the case for the adoption of solar energy and striving to make a meaningful difference.

Hanwha Qcells' solar modules on the roof of the Davos Congress Centre
01. Greener Davos

When the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced the “Towards a Greener Davos” initiative, we stepped forward to provide high-efficiency Q.PEAK 275-Wp solar modules to the Davos Congress Center in Davos, Switzerland. The 640 donated solar modules can produce up to 340kWp annually — enough to offset the Davos Congress Center’s carbon emissions by 20 tons per year. We’re proud that this contribution played a role in the WEF receiving ISO 20121:2012 certification for sustainable event management.

Over 538,000 trees have been planted across nearly a dozen locations through Hanwha Solar Forest's reforestation efforts.
02. Hanwha Solar Forest

Since 2011, the Hanwha Solar Forest campaign has planted approximately 538,000 trees across 11 locations in South Korea, Mongolia, and China, creating forests that total 1.47 million square meters, the equivalent of 200 soccer fields. The defining feature of the Hanwha Solar Forest campaign that sets it apart from similar projects is its use of solar energy to power its own nurseries. Solar energy supports clean water supply, temperature, and humidity control, while providing the lighting needed to nurture saplings — all resulting in a more environmentally friendly, carbon-neutral forest. This natural climate solution reduces the impact of desertification, removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and helps keep water and the air clean while preventing soil runoff. With the support of our Solar Forest app, the public is able to engage with the project, which helps encourage eco-friendly action and raises awareness for environmental issues. As a result of Hanwha’s efforts, Hanwha Solar Forest — the world’s first corporate campaign utilizing solar energy development to prevent desertification — was introduced as a best practice at the 2011 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It was also cited as a model for how corporate partnerships can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a meeting at the UN’s High-Level Political Forum in 2018. We were the first Korean company to join the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 1t.org initiative, an international movement of global companies, nonprofits, and climate activists that aims to conserve, restore, and grow one trillion trees by 2030 in support of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Hanwha's Making a Clean School campaign was designed to create schools where students can enhoy clean and healthy environments.
03. Making a Clean School campaign

From 2011 to 2020, the Hanwha Happy Sunshine project donated solar power generation systems to welfare centers across South Korea to cut utility costs and promote clean energy use. In 2022, the program was renewed as the Making a Clean School campaign, which supports the creation of clean and healthy environments in elementary schools in a variety of ways. This campaign was designed to create schools where students can enjoy clean and healthy environments, addressing the climate change and air pollution caused by fine dust and harmful substances through eco-friendly approaches. Schools selected for the campaign are supported in numerous ways: solar power generation facilities that produce eco-friendly electricity, green walls covered with vegetation that purify indoor air, air shower fans and purifier and window ventilators that reduce indoor fine dust, air quality monitoring devices and green education. Now in its third year in 2024, the campaign has supported 15 elementary schools across the country with relevant devices over the past three years to improve air quality. We selected four schools in and around the Seoul metropolitan area for the first round of the campaign, helping a total of 3,528 students in 140 classes enjoy the benefits of a healthier environment while they learn. We also provided education on environmental issues to foster awareness in the next generation of young people, including measures for dealing with fine dust and protecting the planet.

Hanwha's Solar Beehive campaign provides an nurturing environments for 40,000 bees, powered by solar energy.
04. Solar Beehive campaign

In May 2022, Hanwha unveiled Korea’s first-ever Solar Beehive, a low-carbon beehive that used electricity generated from solar energy. The damaging effects of the climate crisis around the globe have significantly reduced populations of bees, the world’s most important pollinators. Through this project, we aimed to increase bee populations and promote biodiversity by offering bees a stable environment for growth. Solar panels installed on top of the Solar Beehive generated the electricity that was needed to automatically monitor and control the temperature, humidity, water, and food inside the structure. The beehive also contained a smart system that monitored and controlled this data in real time through an app. We installed the Solar Beehive at the Korea National University of Agriculture and Fisheries (KNUAF) as part of a pilot program. The 40,000 or so bees in the Solar Beehive helped pollinate fruit trees on campus and vegetation in nearby wooded areas. The program also collected data on bee population growth and activities, which was previously made public via a website for anyone researching bees and their behavior.

Hanwha launched the Clean Up Mekong campaign to collect hundreds of kilograms of waste in the Mekong River.
05. Clean Up Mekong campaign

Hanwha launched the Clean Up Mekong campaign to address water pollution, which is a significant and ongoing global environmental issue. We donated two solar-powered boats to remove waste from the Mekong River — which runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam — before the river water empties into the Pacific Ocean. The boats can collect 400-500 kilograms of waste daily without discharging any carbon emissions.