The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, entered into a ‘multilateral business agreement for the joint development of core technology for seawater electrolysis system’ at a seminar room of the Research Building 1 of the Korea Institute of Materials Science located in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, on February 22 (Wednesday). A total of 8 organizations participated in this agreement: including KIMS, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd., Hyundai Oilbank Co., Ltd., Seoul National University, Pusan National University, Techwin Co., Ltd., and Heesung Catalysts Corp.

Last 2021, KIMS developed ‘anion exchange membrane seawater electrolysis technology’ for the first time in Korea, which can produce green hydrogen directly using seawater, the most abundant water resource on earth, and drastically reduce the unit cost of hydrogen production. ‘Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis’ is a technology that produces high-purity hydrogen using inexpensive non-precious metal catalysts, but since purified water (ultrapure water) must be used, it not only increases the hydrogen production cost but also hinders the expansion of the water electrolysis base.

The research team solved this problem by controlling the potential of Hydrogen in seawater (pH, hydrogen ion concentration index of solution) to suppress the chlorine generation reaction, and by reducing overvoltage through the developed high-active catalyst, it can use non-precious metal catalyst materials.

Based on this agreement, participating organizations can jointly discover and carry out future research and technology development tasks, develop manpower training programs, and actively propose necessary training courses. In addition, each institution promised to work together by mutually exchanging data and information necessary for industry-university cooperation and holding regular technology exchange meetings. Meanwhile, at the event, the ‘2nd Exchange Meeting of Joint Development Technology Consultation for Seawater Electrolysis System’ was also held. The main person in charge of each institution attended and had a meeting to introduce the research status of the institution.

“It is not long before we can produce high-purity hydrogen inexpensively using seawater”, said Dong-ho Kim, director of the Surface & Nano Materials Division at KIMS. He continued, “I hope that the green hydrogen produced in conjunction with offshore renewable energy (offshore wind power, etc.) can be directly charged and used in hydrogen ships.”