On March 19, 2024, senior executives from ECOPRO AP of South Korea visited KAPSOM to conduct technical exchanges and business negotiations regarding our company’s latest developed ammonia cracking technology and the planned high-purity hydrogen project.
South Korea, with a population of approximately 52 million, boasts a high per capita gross domestic product of $32,000, making it a highly developed industrialized nation. Such advanced economic development inevitably leads to a significant consumption of energy. Statistics indicate that South Korea ranks as the world’s seventh-largest energy consumer, with a high dependence on energy imports. It is among the top five energy-importing nations globally, holding a crucial position and influence in the international energy market.
To address climate change, renewable energy has been rapidly developing globally. South Korea, considering its own national circumstances, has been actively promoting the development of hydrogen energy and proposed the establishment of a hydrogen economy development system. In August 2018, the South Korean government introduced the “Innovative Growth Strategy Investment Direction,” identifying hydrogen economy as one of the three major investment areas and forming the “Hydrogen Economy Promotion Committee.” In January 2019, the South Korean government launched the “Hydrogen Economy Activation Roadmap” with the aim of positioning South Korea as a leading hydrogen economy nation worldwide. On November 9, 2022, South Korea convened the fifth meeting of the Hydrogen Economy Promotion Committee, announcing the project task of “establishing a clean hydrogen supply chain and nurturing the world’s leading hydrogen industry.” Furthermore, they introduced three major development strategies to promote hydrogen economy development: “Scale Development,” “Infrastructure and Institutional Development,” and “Industry and Technology Development,” collectively known as the “3UP” strategy.
Despite being an abundant and widely applicable clean energy source, the volatile and highly diffuse nature of hydrogen poses significant challenges in transportation, leading to high costs. One economically viable solution is to convert hydrogen gas into ammonia (NH3) for transportation and then release it upon use through a process called ammonia cracking or decomposition to produce hydrogen.
ECOPRO AP is a leading enterprise specializing in industrial gas production, dedicated to producing high-purity oxygen and nitrogen gases. In recent years, with the South Korean government’s formulation of various policies for hydrogen energy development, ECOPRO AP has actively responded to the country’s green hydrogen development needs, seeking new opportunities amid carbon neutrality initiatives.
As the first country in the world to launch commercial fuel cell vehicles, South Korea has world-leading technological advantages in fuel cells and fuel cell vehicles. In 2020, South Korea had more than 10,000 fuel cell cars and more than 50 fuel cell buses on the road, and plans to increase this number to 6.2 million in 2040. As of the end of 2020, South Korea has five hydrogen refueling stations in operation, and plans to expand the number of hydrogen refueling stations to 1,200 in 2040. However, the hydrogen production process produces a H2-rich gas mixture that must be purified to achieve the ultra-high purity required for fuel cells. Based on the background that South Korea plays an important role in many fields such as medicine, electronics industry, new energy, and semiconductor manufacturing, ECOPRO AP has also begun to pay attention to the development of the high-purity hydrogen industry and actively deploy it.
During the visit to KAPSOM, both parties engaged in discussions and exchanges regarding our company’s latest research and development of a low-energy consumption metal membrane-based ultra-pure hydrogen process. Unlike traditional ammonia cracking units, our company employs a metal membrane-based hydrogen production process with superior hydrogen permeability, lower reaction temperatures, and a simplified process. Additionally, the equipment adopts a containerized design and is complemented by an intelligent control system. This innovative solution has garnered recognition and appreciation from ECOPRO AP.
The continuous innovation and development of ammonia cracking technology will provide more possibilities for the widespread application of hydrogen energy technology, making significant contributions to achieving the goals of clean energy and reducing carbon emissions. With technological advancements and increasing global demand for sustainable energy, we believe that ammonia cracking technology will play an increasingly important role in the future. KAPSOM looks forward to joining hands with outstanding partners like ECOPRO AP, working together to contribute our share to global sustainable development.
For more information about KAPSOM and its initiatives, please contact dongling@kapsom.com.
