Hyundai Engineering & Construction has commenced construction on a large-scale hydrogen production facility based on water electrolysis in the renewable energy complex of Buan County, North Jeolla Province. (Image courtesy of Hyundai E&C)
SEOUL, May 31 (Korea Bizwire) – Hyundai Engineering & Construction has commenced construction on a large-scale hydrogen production facility based on water electrolysis in the renewable energy complex of Buan County, North Jeolla Province.
The groundbreaking ceremony on May 30 marked the beginning of the construction phase for this significant project.
The event was attended by Park Han-seo from the Hydrogen Industry Division of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Kim Jong-hoon, vice governor for economic affairs of North Jeolla Province, Kwon Ik-hyun, the head of Buan County, as well as Hyundai E&C’s Ryu Sung-an and Yoon Sang-jo, head of the Green Business Division at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.
Since 2022, Hyundai E&C has been collaborating with North Jeolla Province, Buan County, Jeonbuk Technopark, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Techcross Water & Energy, and Techcross Environmental Service to carry out this national water electrolysis-based hydrogen production plant project led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The facility will use electricity to split water molecules and produce, store, and supply hydrogen. Located within the Renewable Energy Theme Park in Buan, it will be South Korea’s largest commercial water electrolysis hydrogen production plant upon completion.
With a 2.5-megawatt capacity, it is expected to produce over 1 ton of hydrogen per day.
The hydrogen produced at this plant will supply research facilities and refueling stations within Buan County.
As the core hydrogen supply base for Buan’s Hydrogen City project, this facility will play a pivotal role in establishing an energy self-sufficient city centered around hydrogen.
Hyundai E&C is responsible for the overall design, procurement, and construction of the project. By deploying a team specialized in hydrogen plants, the company completed the design phase last December.
To produce high-purity hydrogen of 99.999% or higher, a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) system was adopted, and system redundancy measures were implemented to ensure stable operation even during emergencies.
The construction is scheduled for completion by the end of this year, followed by commissioning, optimization, and the commencement of full-scale water electrolysis hydrogen production in May 2025.
In addition to the Buan project, Hyundai E&C has secured design capabilities across the hydrogen plant sector through projects such as the Boryeong Clean Hydrogen Project FEED Design and the Jeju 12.5MW Green Hydrogen Demonstration Plant Conceptual Design.
Building upon this expertise, the company plans to take a leading role in the transition to a hydrogen-based economy by participating in large-scale, gigawatt-class water electrolysis hydrogen plants and nuclear-based hydrogen projects.
A Hyundai E&C official stated, “We believe hydrogen, as a key energy source in the carbon-neutral era, will spearhead the future energy market. Therefore, we are strengthening our capabilities to lead the hydrogen plant market.”
The official added, “To drive the global transition to clean energy, we will actively invest in securing specialized personnel and modernizing research facilities, while expanding our participation in projects related to new energy sources such as hydrogen, biogas, and small modular reactors.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
