This month's Scientist and Engineer of the Month award has been awarded to Professor Kim Sang-hyun of the Department of Construction and Environmental Engineering at Yonsei University.
Established in 1997, the 'Scientist and Engineer of the Month' award recognizes one researcher each month who has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of science and technology through exceptional research and development achievements over the past three years. The award includes a trophy from the Ministry of Science and ICT and a cash prize of 10 million won.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Research Foundation selected Professor Kim Sang-hyun, who has dedicated his research to converting organic waste derived from plants and animals into useful resources such as hydrogen and methane, as the award recipient in celebration of World Energy Independence Day (July 10).
Hydrogen, an eco-friendly fuel that does not emit carbon dioxide when burned, has recently garnered attention for producing biohydrogen from organic waste. The stable supply of 'green hydrogen,' which does not produce carbon dioxide during the hydrogen production process, is a goal of Korea's hydrogen economy plan.
However, existing biohydrogen production methods use a chemical reforming process on biogas produced while treating organic waste such as food waste and agricultural by-products. While this is eco-friendly, it is faced with complexities in the production process and low production efficiency.
To address these issues, Professor Kim Sang-hyun developed continuous hydrogen production technology that maintains a high concentration of hydrogen-producing microorganisms without the expensive sterilization process. Additionally, by applying this technology, he has achieved world-class performance in continuous biohydrogen production and has been conducting pilot-scale hydrogen production research through collaborative studies between academia and industry since 2022.
Professor Kim Sang-hyun stated, "I plan to contribute to the stable supply of green hydrogen necessary for a hydrogen-based society through continuous research," and noted, "I would like to develop new technologies that can replace existing processes and contribute to future generations."