Korea is leading the world in the adoption of fuel cell technology, Oilprice.com said Sunday, with Korean conglomerates teaming up with U.S. fuel cell manufacturers to make them more economical.
Quoting Navigant Research, the site said Korea will command the world’s largest share of the billion-dollar stationary fuel cell market this year, and the market value will shoot up to US$15 billion by 2022.
POSCO Energy, Korea’s largest independent power producer, last year opened the world’s largest fuel cell plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, with more than 20 2.8-megawatt hydrogen fuel cells supplied by FuelCell Energy of the U.S.
Korea relies on imports for most of its energy needs, especially LNG, and wants more energy choices beyond fossil fuels and nuclear power. By 2030, the goal is to have 20 percent of national energy demand met with renewable energy sources, with 10 percent from fuel cells, or enough to power 400,000 homes.
Fuel cell technology will also figure prominently in the automotive industry. Last year, Hyundai Motor rolled out the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell car, the Tucson SUV.