Samsung C&T's engineering and construction group has completed Korea's first off-grid, renewable energy–only green hydrogen production facility.
Off-grid is a method of producing energy directly without receiving electricity, gas or other energy from outside.
Samsung C&T said on the 25th that it completed a green hydrogen production facility linked to solar power generation in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang.
Attending the completion ceremony that day were Minister Kim Seong-hwan of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, National Assembly member Song Eon-seog, North Gyeongsang Province Vice Governor for Economic Affairs Yang Geum-hee, Bae Nak-ho, mayor of Gimcheon, Jo Eun-hee, head of the Daegu Regional Environmental Office, Lee Seung-jae, president of Korea Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), Kim Jae-hong, president of the Korea Hydrogen Association, and Oh Se-chul, president and CEO of Samsung C&T's engineering and construction group.
The project is a facility that produces green hydrogen (10MW) by electrolyzing water (water electrolysis) using 100% renewable energy generated by solar power (8.3MW). It can produce 0.6 tons per day and more than 230 tons per year of green hydrogen. The hydrogen produced will be connected to the local hydrogen infrastructure and supplied to hydrogen vehicle charging stations, among others.
This project is Korea's first case of applying an off-grid method that produces hydrogen by directly using renewable energy without depending on an external power grid, and it is meaningful in that it presents a renewable energy–based green hydrogen production model. Based on the experience secured through this project, Samsung C&T plans not only to lay the groundwork for entering overseas green hydrogen businesses in the future but also to promote localization of water electrolysis equipment and operation technology, which are designated as national strategic technologies.
In this project, Samsung C&T carried out the full scope of EPC, including the design, procurement and construction of hydrogen production and storage facilities, including solar power generation equipment and water electrolysis equipment. It also plans to participate in future operations and maintenance (O&M) to ensure stable facility operations and advance the technology.
Jung Ki-seok, head of the renewable technology research institute at Samsung C&T, said, "By realizing off-grid–based green hydrogen production for the first time in Korea, we have secured a technological foundation for promoting large-scale green hydrogen projects at home and abroad," and added, "We plan to continue strengthening our competitiveness in the global green hydrogen market based on eco-friendly energy technology and business capabilities."
Samsung C&T's engineering and construction group is making green hydrogen and ammonia central pillars of its future eco-friendly energy business and is pursuing related projects in global markets such as the Middle East and Australia. It is also expanding its business scope across the entire green hydrogen value chain by participating in projects to build storage and supply infrastructure for hydrogen and ammonia in Korea.