Participating in H2 MEET… Introducing the core competencies of the hydrogen business
Key technologies for clean hydrogen production, carbon capture, etc. are drawing attention

The six POSCO Group companies presented a business blueprint and key achievements covering the entire hydrogen business value chain, from production, transportation, storage, and utilization of clean hydrogen for carbon neutrality by 2050.

POSCO Group participated in the hydrogen industry exhibition 'H2 MEET (Mobility Energy Environment Technology) 2023' held at KINTEX from September 13th to 15th and introduced the core capabilities of the group's hydrogen business.

POSCO Holdings and Pohang Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology are leading the development of core technologies to enable economical production of clean hydrogen.

Clean hydrogen produced overseas is supplied locally for steel HBI production and industrial use, or is synthesized in the form of ammonia and transported.

The ammonia introduced in this way is used as ammonia itself for coal-fired power generation, or it is converted back into hydrogen through ammonia hydrogen extraction technology and supplied for hydrogen reduction, steelmaking hydrogen co-fired power generation, hydrogen cities, etc.

Hydrogen produced domestically can be immediately supplied to demanders through POSCO’s hydrogen pipelines without a separate conversion process.

In addition, POSCO Holdings has developed a core technology for clean hydrogen production. We are also focusing on developing innovative technologies such as ammonia hydrogen extraction and high-temperature water conversion.

The exhibition introduced the CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilization Technology that reuses captured carbon dioxide to create added value) blue hydrogen production technology currently underway in Gwangyang, and explained that the desulfurization process that removes sulfur is utilized in the steel mill.

POSCO has developed a process that can recycle waste bicarbonate, which has been discarded without being recycled, into bicarbonate by reacting it with carbon dioxide, and can additionally produce other products, such as gypsum.

This is expected to have the effect of replacing imported heavy metals from overseas. The pile test has been completed at the Gwangyang Steel Works, and a demonstration plant to expand its scale is currently being prepared for 2023.

▲From left, Chris Bohn , CFO of CF Industries, and Joo-ik Cho, head of the hydrogen business team at POSCO Holdings (Photo source: POSCO)

At 'H2 MEET 2023', POSCO Holdings signed a term sheet with CF Industries, the world's largest ammonia producer, for blue ammonia production in the United States.

Blue ammonia refers to ammonia made from blue hydrogen with carbon dioxide removed through CCS technology.

CFINDUSTRIZ has large-scale ammonia production plants in the United States and Canada, with an annual ammonia production capacity of 9 million tons.

The two companies will review specific plans and budgets for the blue ammonia production project based on the key transaction terms and conditions.

The Louisiana Blue Ammonia Project, based on ATR and CCS technologies, is expected to dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 90% compared to existing ammonia production methods and is also expected to receive subsidy benefits under the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

To achieve carbon neutrality, POSCO International introduced global CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) technology and the current status of domestic hydrogen complex terminal and hydrogen hybrid power generation business.

POSCO International is conducting joint research on CCS with global energy companies based on its experience in carrying out various overseas resource development projects and is promoting CCS commercialization in the U.S., Australia, and other countries.

In addition, it was reported that an eco-friendly hydrogen complex terminal with a total capacity of 1.26 million tons will be built in Incheon, Gwangyang, and Pohang by 2035, and that clean hydrogen co-firing commercial power generation is being promoted in 2027 by replacing Incheon LNG power plants 3 and 4 with new facilities.

Through this, POSCO International plans to build a clean hydrogen supply infrastructure in the Incheon area, and plans to expand hydrogen co-firing to all power plants from Units 5 to 9 by 2035 and convert to hydrogen-only power generation by 2050 to realize a carbon-neutral power plant. Carry out the implementation.

The HyREX exhibition zone is designed to introduce hydrogen reduction ironmaking, the most fundamental reason why POSCO Group is pursuing the hydrogen business.

POSCO is developing HyREX (Hydrogen Reduction Ironmaking), a hydrogen reduction ironmaking technology based on a fluidized bed reactor that produces eco-friendly iron using hydrogen instead of coal.

This technology uses 100% hydrogen as a reducing agent instead of coal to produce direct reduced iron (DRI) by directly reducing powdered iron ore, which is then melted in an electric furnace to produce pig iron.

POSCO plans to gradually replace the hydrogen and electricity used as fuel for HyREX with green hydrogen and green electricity.

Construction of the HyREX test facility is scheduled to begin in June 2024, and a large-scale commercial plant is scheduled to be operated after completing verification by 2030.

We plan to supply domestic natural gas reformed hydrogen by 2030, and CCS-linked blue hydrogen thereafter.

After that, we plan to switch to imported clean hydrogen in conjunction with the commercialization of ammonia hydrogen extraction technology.

POSCO Group introduced an Australian green hydrogen business model linked to Green Steel by establishing an eco-friendly, low-carbon steel raw material HBI Zone (Hot Briquetted Iron).

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(Photo source: POSCO)

Australia is an important strategic country for green steel production due to its abundance of iron ore and renewable energy, and POSCO Holdings and POSCO are promoting HBI production and green hydrogen incorporation projects in the Pilbar region of Western Australia.

The plan is to build six HBI plants in the Boodarie Industrial Complex in the Pilava region, with commissioning starting in 2027 and expanding HBI production to 12 million tons.

During the same period, POSCO Holdings will supply green hydrogen for HBI production through the P-AGH PJT (POSCO Australia Green Hydrogen Project), a green hydrogen production project.

Australia plans to produce one million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2040, with first hydrogen production starting in 2027.

The green hydrogen produced here will start with 1% mixing in the HBI process and will be expanded to 100% by 2050.

The Global Hydrogen Production Zone introduced the key features and hydrogen production process of global clean hydrogen projects being promoted in nine key strategic countries, including Oman, Australia, the United States, Canada, and Malaysia.

In particular, the Oman Green Hydrogen Project is a project to build a 5GW renewable energy complex and produce 220,000 tons of green hydrogen per year. In June, POSCO Holdings secured a large site equivalent to half the size of Seoul in the Duqm region of Oman. Did.

Meanwhile, POSCO Group's H2 MEET exhibition booths are divided into the following: △Global Hydrogen Production Zone △Hydrogen Value Chain Zone △Hydrogen Production Technology Zone △Hydrogen Plant EPC Zone △CCS Zone △Hydrogen Infrastructure Zone △Hydrogen Power Generation Zone △Hydrogen Steel Solution Zone △Mobility Solution Zone △ HBI Zone △HyREX Zone It consists of 11 themes.

The POSCO Group also presented the achievements and future vision of clean hydrogen production projects being promoted around the world in a 3D panoramic video, giving visitors an immersive experience as if they were visiting an actual hydrogen production site.

H2 MEET 2023 will be held at KINTEX Ilsan from September 12 to 15, and is the world's first and largest hydrogen industry exhibition in Korea, where you can meet leading domestic and international hydrogen industry companies. Technology exhibitions and conferences that lead technological innovation in the hydrogen industry will also be held.