Hanwha and affiliates to establish clean hydrogen value chain

South Korean Hanwha Group has announced the potential creation of a comprehensive clean hydrogen value chain through collaboration with seven of its affiliates, Hanwha Corporation, Hanwha Energy, Hanwha Solutions, Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Ocean, Hanwha Impact and Hanwha Power Systems.

The hydrogen value chain is expected to use renewable energy and ammonia and encompass clean hydrogen production, storage, transport and utilization.

Hanwha said its affiliate Hanwha Corporation plans to establish competitive ammonia manufacturing and supply facilities both domestically and globally through cooperation with businesses in North America, Australia and the Middle East, and Hanwha Impact is conducting R&D and working with diverse partners in service of its goal of commercializing ammonia cracking by 2027.

In order to further develop its clean hydrogen production technology, Hanwha Solutions is said to be developing next-generation anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) technology, which according to Hanwha, can produce hydrogen using less power and with a lower initial investment cost than existing water electrolysis methods.

The South Korean Group also noted that Hanwha Solutions offers a range of hydrogen storage solutions, including composite high-pressure tanks optimized for a variety of uses and methods of transportation, including trailers, hydrogen vehicles, drones and aerospace vehicles. Furthermore, Hanwha Cimarron, a subsidiary of Hanwha Solutions, joined hands with Shell to build extensive hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in California by supplying its Neptune 517-bar hydrogen tanks, the highest among Type IV tanks, Hanwha Group said.

Hanwha Ocean is also said to play a key role in the transportation of hydrogen with its hydrogen and ammonia carriers and green ships that run on an eco-friendly propulsion system based on ammonia, methanol and hydrogen. To note, the company has acquired approval in principle (AiP) from the UK’s Lloyd’s Register classification society and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for its ammonia-propelled carriers.

In regard to Hanwha Energy, the Group said the affiliate plans to contribute to the supply of green hydrogen in the U.S. through renewable energy sources.

Hanwha Power Systems continues to refine its hydrogen co-firing technology, or hydrogen to gas turbine (H2GT) technology, Hanwha said, adding that alongside its partners, Thomassen Energy in the Netherlands and Power Systems (PSM) in the U.S., Hanwha has been working to advance hydrogen co-firing gas turbine solutions.

Hanwha emphasized that its hydrogen value chain extends to power cells for use in eco-friendly mobility technology and transportation, adding that Hanwha Ocean equipped 3,000-ton submarines with its hydrogen fuel cell systems and Hanwha Aerospace plans to utilize 100 kW lightweight hydrogen fuel cells in urban air mobility (UAM) and regional air mobility (RAM) as part of its aim to expand its eco-friendly air mobility business.

In regard to Hanwha affiliates’ other endeavours, in September 2023, Hanwha Ocean teamed up with the classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) on LNG fuel tanks for ultra-large boxships and joined forces with ABS, ECOLOG Services and Babcock International Liquid Gas Equipment (LGE) to collaborate on LCO2 carrier design.

• BV, Hanwha Ocean team up on LNG fuel tanks for ultra-large boxships
• ABS and partners to collaborate on LCO2 carrier design