Press Release Clean Energy & Ocean Solutions

Hanwha Energy Celebrates Its Completion of the World’s First and Largest Byproduct-Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell Power Plant

August 7, 2020
  • The new power plant has an annual production capacity of 50 MW
  • The plant cost USD 212 million to complete, and produces enough electricity to power 160,000 homes

On July 28, 2020, Hanwha Energy’s CEO In-Sub Jung celebrated the completion of the hydrogen-fuel-cell power plant at the Daesan Industrial Complex in Seosan, Korea. Prime Minister Sye-kyun Chung also attended the event.

On July 28, 2020, Hanwha Energy, a comprehensive-energy-solutions company, hosted an event at its Daesan Industrial Complex in Seosan, Korea, and celebrated the completion of a hydrogen-fuel-cell power plant that only uses recycled hydrogen. At the event, Hanwha Energy CEO In-Sub Jung was joined by Prime Minister Sye-kyun Chung, Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Seung-il Chung, Chungcheongnam-do Governor Seung-jo Yang, Member of the National Assembly Myung-sun Kim, and Seosan Mayor Jeong-ho Maeng.

Built by Hanwha Engineering & Construction, the new byproduct-hydrogen-fuel-cell power plant cost USD 212 million. It occupies 20,000 m² of the Daesan Industrial Complex. It is the largest industrial hydrogen-fuel-cell power plant in the world and the first to only use hydrogen recycled from petrochemical manufacturing. And with an annual production capacity of 50 MW and the ability to generate up to 400,000 MWh of electricity per year, the electricity needs of 160,000 homes will be met.

The hydrogen used in the new plant is recycled hydrogen from petrochemical manufacturing. It is supplied by the Hanwha Total Petrochemical plant located within the same Daesan Industrial Complex. Hanwha Total Petrochemical pumps the recycled hydrogen into the new power plant via underground pipes and feeds it directly into the fuel cells. Electricity is then generated by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The resulting byproduct of the fuel cells is only pure water. Unlike fossil-fuel-electricity generation, hydrogen fuel cells do not emit environmental pollutants such as greenhouse gases, sulfur oxide (SOx), and nitrogen oxide (NOx).

At the event, Hanwha Energy CEO In-Sub Jung said, “With the completion of this plant, we will help the government establish a roadmap to a hydrogen economy while boosting the local economy.”

In January of 2018, to facilitate the completion of this hydrogen-fuel-cell power plant project, Hanwha Energy partnered with Korea East-West Power and Doosan Corporation to establish Daesan Green Energy, a special-purpose company. Hanwha Energy is the largest shareholder and responsible for the power plant’s day-to-day operations. Korea East-West Power purchases the renewable energy certificate (REC) produced by the hydrogen-fuel-cell power plant, while Doosan Corporation supplies and maintains the hydrogen fuel cells.

The construction of this hydrogen-fuel-cell power plant is a part of Hanwha Energy’s effort to diversify its business. The company is expanding beyond conventional power generation and solar power by investing in the hydrogen economy. This move will further strengthen its position as a comprehensive energy-solutions provider globally.



Additional Details of Daesan Green Energy Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell Power Plant

• Project Name: Daesan Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell Power Generation

• Company Name: Daesan Green Energy

• Ownership: Hanwha Energy (49%), Korea East-West Energy (35%), Doosan Fuel Cells (10%),
financial investors (6%)

• Location: Daesan Industrial Complex, Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea

• Business Scale: 50 MW of hydrogen fuel cells

• Project Cost: USD 212 million (starting capital: USD 42.4 million (20%), PF USD 169.6 million (80%))

• Project Duration: 23 months

• Project Milestones:

· 1/2018 – Daesan Green Energy is funded and established
· 2/2018 – Generation Business License is issued
· 4/2018 – Major contracts are signed; construction plans are approved
· 7/2018 – Groundbreaking, construction is started
· 7/2019 – First power transmission; commissioning process is started
· 6/2020 – Commercial operation begins

Daesan Green Energy Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell Power Plant

Hanwha Energy’s hydrogen-fuel-cell power plant is the first large-scale plant that uses only hydrogen extracted from the byproduct of petrochemical production. It produces electricity by combining recycled hydrogen with oxygen in an electrochemical reaction.

Hanwha Energy

Hanwha Energy is a comprehensive energy solutions provider that operates power plants in Korea and around the world with a focus on sustainability. Its diverse portfolio includes cogeneration plants, solar power plants, as well as the world’s largest hydrogen fuel cell power plant, located in Korea’s Daesan Industrial Complex. Hanwha Energy also acts as an independent power producer, offers operation and maintenance services, and is developing new energy storage systems and smart energy management solutions.

For more information, visit: hec.hanwha.co.kr/eng/enMain.do