Doosan to develop hydrogen gas turbine

Doosan Heavy Industries has signed a series of agreements with Korea East-West Power, the city of Ulsan, Korea and SK Gas to develop infrastructure to distribute and use hydrogen as an energy source in Korea.

According to the agreement, Ulsan Metropolitan City will provide administrative support while Korea East-West Power will handle the demonstration of the hydrogen gas turbine. SK Gas is in charge of laying the infrastructure while Doosan will develop the technology that drives the hydrogen gas turbines.

All companies in the agreement and the agreement will participate in the Ulsan Combined Cycle Power Plant’s gas turbine demonstration project, which will convert the gas turbine at the power plant into a 270 MW hydrogen gas turbine by 2027. It will be the first of its kind in Korea.

“We plan to use these agreements as a stepping stone to develop the hydrogen gas turbine business into the next generation growth engine,” said Yeonin Jung, COO of Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction.

Doosan signed a separate agreement to achieve carbon neutral by 2050 and to promote the domestic hydrogen gas turbine business with Korean Midland Power (KOMIPO), which will adopt Doosan’s technology for the hydrogen dual fuel combustor and the hydrogen gas turbine. Doosan will develop the technology to develop hydrogen gas turbines and securing technology to mass produce the needed parts.

Hydrogen-fueled power plants emit fewer pollutants compared with methane-driven combined cycle power plants, Doosan said. According to the Korea Institute of Machinery & Metals (KIMM), if a 30% hydrogen fuel mix is used, an operator can reduce CO2 emissions level by 10.4%. If a 50% hydrogen mix is used, the operator can reduce CO2 emissions by 21.4%. Power plants fueled entirely by hydrogen can generate zero carbon emissions.

Since May 2020, the company has worked with KIMM on a national project to develop a 300 MW turbine that runs on 50% hydrogen.