Hydrogen fuel-cell cars line up in front of a hydrogen fueling station at a service station on an expressway in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, northeastern South Korea, on Jan. 21, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s industry ministry on Monday designated eight additional hydrogen-focused businesses eligible to receive state financial support, in line with the country’s goal to slowly phase out conventional resources and go carbon neutral by 2050.
The country launched a new law on promoting the hydrogen economy in February, under which companies whose business portfolio covers the sector can receive state subsidies of up to 150 million won (US$128,000).
So far, 19 companies have been tapped to receive the support, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The companies include suppliers of parts for hydrogen fuel cells and charging facilities.
South Korea also helps such hydrogen-focused firms find new clients, along with other technological support.
The move comes in line with South Korea’s goal to foster 100 hydrogen-focused businesses by 2025, eventually reaching 1,000 by 2040.
Hydrogen is an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels as automobiles running on the resource only create water in the process of generating power. It can be produced as a by-product of industrial facilities, including petrochemical plants.
South Korea has been seeking to foster the hydrogen economy, utilizing the resource in various areas from automobiles to generating power.
Under the plan, the country plans to produce 6.2 million units of hydrogen fuel cell cars by 2040 and build 1,200 charging stations across the country.
(Yonhap)
Hyundai’s container drone concept is actually a blueprint for the armed services:
“The Rescue Drone is a concept mobility solution that combines with a Fuel Cell e-Bogie to create a flying drone that can be operated remotely and autonomously for critical operations such as fire-fighting and emergency life-saving operations.
The Rescue Drone will feature an independent steering system for in-place turning maneuvers and ‘crab-walk’ driving. It will also be able to carry out missions via images transmitted from drones mounted on the vehicle’s exterior while achieving a driving range of 450 to 500km from a single charge.”
Like Hyundai, the Army, Navy, and Air Force must accept that they cannot get there by repurposing existing equipment. They need to start afresh and from the ground up. But the sooner they start the sooner they will get there. Like it or not, the future belongs to the countries that have foreseen the manifold advantages of hydrogen. And if we are not prudent in our pursuit of the perfect hydrogen (green) we will lose sight of the good hydrogen (blue) and find ourselves on the outside looking in.
https://dronedj.com/2021/09/08/hydrogen-powered-drones-hyundai/