The hydrogen economy is emerging as a key issue for carbon neutrality and
green growth, with the global market size is expected to be 2,759 trillion won
by 2050. The hydrogen energy field is rapidly emerging as a key policy and
technological tool for discovering new growth engines and achieving carbon
neutrality both domestically and internationally. Major global countries are
actively working to build a hydrogen value chain of hydrogen production,
distribution, and utilization through partnerships between the government and
private businesses.
As one of the main means of building a hydrogen ecosystem and dominating
the hydrogen economy, major countries and regions are competing over
integrated complex policies for agglomeration such as hydrogen clusters and
hydrogen hubs. The United States is pursuing the creation of 6 to 7 clean
hydrogen hubs in each regional base to produce clean hydrogen, and Australia
is building several green hydrogen production bases in coastal areas across
the country to produce and export green hydrogen. Additionally, Korea is
pursuing a hydrogen integration complex policy under the supervision of the
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It is planning to create hydrogen
clusters in five cities and provinces including Ulsan. At the end of the year,
the Ministry is starting selecting a hydrogen specialized complex.
Gyeonggi-do has been pursuing its goals by establishing a basic plan for
hydrogen energy in 2019, but it is insufficient to achieve the desired results.
Therefore, it is necessary to redefine the vision and promote hydrogen
integration policies. In addition, Gyeonggi-do has been promoting hydrogen
policy by establishing a basic plan for hydrogen energy since 2019, but the
sectoral goals was not achieved effectively.
In this situation, Gyeonggi-do needs to redefine its vision for promoting
the future hydrogen economy in order to revitalize the hydrogen economy
to achieve carbon neutrality and green growth, and quickly introduce and realize
the hydrogen cluster policy.
Gyeonggi-do needs to promote a plan to connect the
Pyeongtaek-Hwaseong-Ansan belt with a hydrogen economy cluster and to
create a hydrogen economy cluster in Yangju and Paju areas respectively to
secure a base for fostering the hydrogen economy in the northern Gyeonggi
region. Through the cluster strategy, Gyeonggi-do aims to achieve 15 hydrogen
production hubs, 350,000 tons of hydrogen production, 300km of hydrogen
pipe line, 250 hydrogen charging stations, 2GW of hydrogen fuel cell power
generation, 1,000 hydrogen companies, and 30 hydrogen towns by 2030. It
must be achieved effectively as the grand hydrogen economy blueprint.
Gyeonggi-do needs to promote hydrogen economy clusters through active
partnerships with cities, counties, power generation companies, and energy
companies, or select applications for the central government's public offering
project. Looking at cases of promotion and selection of hydrogen clusters or
hydrogen hubs both domestically and internationally, metropolitan and
city-country local governments need to build an active cooperation system with
power generation companies and energy companies.
Gyeonggi-do needs to actively participate in the Ministry of Trade, Industry
and Energy's hydrogen intensification policy contest project. The hydrogen
economy cluster promoted by Gyeonggi-do can be promoted on its own, but
it is much more effective to apply and promote it in conjunction with hydrogen
integration policies such as hydrogen clusters and hydrogen specialized
complexes promoted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
In addition, Gyeonggi-do needs to consider introducing a profit-sharing
system to overcome local residents' opposition to hydrogen projects. In case
of hydrogen projects such as a hydrogen refueling station, hydrogen fuel cell
power plant, or hydrogen fuel cell system factory, there is extreme opposition
from nearby residents. In order to dramatically improve social acceptance of
hydrogen projects, it is necessary to actively introduce a profit-sharing system
that distributes a portion of the profits from the location of hydrogen projects
to nearby residents, as in the case of Shinan-gun's solar power generation project
profit-sharing system.
Additionally, Gyeonggi-do needs to review joint promotion of seminars and
related service projects to create a Gyeonggi-Chungnam hydrogen economic
cluster. In order to support the realization of the Gyeonggi-Chungnam
Hydrogen Economy Cluster proposed in this report, Gyeonggi-do(Gyeonggi
Research Institute) and South Chungcheong-do(Chungnam Research Institute)
need to jointly promote a support project. The two regions needs to jointly
hold related seminars through funded researchers to lead public opinion, and
jointly promote services to develop policies and establish master plans.
Moreover, Gyeonggi-do needs to apply for a public offering for the entire
Eunnam Industrial Complex in Yangju City as a special opportunity
development zone to house hydrogen economy full-cycle industries.
Gyeonggi-do and Yangju City need to pursue a policy to actively foster the
entire Eunnam Industrial Complex located in Dohari, Eunhyeon-myeon, Yangju
City, which is being developed by Gyeonggi-do, into a hydrogen economy
cluster in name and reality. By attracting large and small companies covering
all fields of hydrogen production, distribution, and utilization, Gyeonggi-do
and Yangju City need to foster it as a leading hydrogen economy region not
only in the northern Gyeonggi region but also in Gyeonggi-do, and further
into a hydrogen economy industry base representing the metropolitan area and
Korea. The Eunnam Industrial Complex development project has a project
period of 2016 to 2027(scheduled), and the current plan for attracting industries
is 9 industries, including electronic parts, metal processing, and other machine
manufacturing. However, Gyeonggi-do and Yangju City have completely revised
it to become a special opportunity development zone. As part of the public
offering project, developing the entire industrial complex into a specialized
hydrogen economy cluster as the hydrogen industry companies is needed.
Furthermore, Gyeonggi-do needs to form and operate a ‘Hydrogen Economy
Council’ involving industry, academia, research institutes, and government. Also,
it needs to operate it in order to provide practical advice on hydrogen economy
policy and revitalize governance. Through the consultative body, the hydrogen
economy vision and policy direction and the direction of hydrogen economy
cluster operation will be discussed. In particular, it will serve as a practical
window to collect opinions from hydrogen companies on the direction of the
hydrogen economy cluster policy promoted by Gyeonggi-do and actively reflect
them in the policy.