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The Hydrogen Micro Hub: Large-scale Hydrogen Production

A new facility, the Hydrogen Micro Hub, will accelerate the production and supply of hydrogen. This joint venture between SK E&C, Hyundai Engineering and USNC represents a significant step towards a sustainable hydrogen economy.

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The Hydrogen Micro Hub is a joint venture between SK E&C, Hyundai Engineering and USNC. Together, they plan to develop a facility to accelerate the production and supply of hydrogen. The facility will use high-temperature electrolysis to produce hydrogen, with electricity and steam generated by USNC’s Micro-Modular Reactor (MMR) powering the process.

Objective: establish a competitive hydrogen production system for the future

A key advantage of this technology is its ability to generate high temperature steam, allowing the use of solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC) cells that operate at high temperatures. This maximizes the efficiency of hydrogen production while reducing energy consumption.

The partners plan to build the first Hydrogen Micro Hub at SK E&C’s headquarters in Seoul. They will collaborate on the research and development of the MMR-SOEC integrated plant for the next five years. The goal is to establish a competitive hydrogen production system, promoting ongoing research and development and verification for future hydrogen production and supply companies.

Hydrogen Micro Hub plans to produce hydrogen on a larger scale for the local market

Hyundai Engineering will be responsible for the balance of plant equipment for the MMR plant and for engineering, procurement and construction activities. USNC will design, manufacture and supply the MMR. SK E&C will establish a nuclear-based hydrogen production system using Bloom Energy’s SOEC and provide the hydrogen production equipment.

SK E&S has already successfully tested hydrogen production by electrolysis using a 130 kW SOEC facility in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, in cooperation with Bloom Energy and Bloom SK Fuel Cell. The Hydrogen Micro Hub is expected to produce hydrogen on a larger scale, with the potential to supply the local market.

USNC’s MMR is a 15 MW thermal, 5 MW electrical gas-cooled high-temperature reactor. It is designed to be simple, with minimal operation and maintenance requirements and no on-site fuel storage, handling or processing facilities. The MMR uses TRISO fuel in prismatic graphite blocks and has a transportable sealed core.

The Hydrogen Micro Hub represents a significant step towards a hydrogen economy based on sustainable, low-carbon energy sources. By combining nuclear and SOEC technologies, the facility could pave the way for more efficient and economical hydrogen production on a large scale.

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