World's 1st byproduct hydrogen fuel cell power plant built in S. Korea

SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) -- Hanwha Energy Corp., an energy solutions affiliate of Hanwha Group, said Tuesday it has completed the construction of a hydrogen fuel cell power plant, the first of its kind and the largest in the world to be powered solely by hydrogen that is extracted as a byproduct from petrochemical production.

The 255 billion-won (US$212 million) fuel cell power plant in the Daesan petrochemical complex, some 120 kilometers south of Seoul, will generate 400,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity a year, which is enough for 160,000 households, the company said in a statement.

The 50-megawatt hydrogen fuel cell plant uses by-product hydrogen from Hanwha Total Petrochemical Co.'s plant in the same region as fuel and generates electricity using its fuel-cell system, the statement said.

Electricity can be produced by processing liquefied natural gas or as a by-product of industrial facilities, including petrochemical plants.

The hydrogen fuel cell power plant only produces water as a by-product, without emitting greenhouse gases, sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, it said.

Hydrogen is an environment friendly alternative to fossil fuels, as automobiles running on it only create water in the process of generating power.

Hanwha Energy holds a 49 percent stake in the project, followed by Korea East-West Power with a stake of 35 percent, Doosan Fuel Cell Co. with a 10 percent stake and financial investors with 6 percent.

Hanwha Energy is in charge of operating the plant, Korea East-West Power purchases the electricity produced in the plant for local supply, and Doosan Fuel Cell provides fuel cells and offers maintenance services for the plant.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)