The government designated Pohang as a specialized hydrogen fuel cell complex... as a hydrogen industry mecca.

[Anchor]
The Hydrogen Economy Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, held its seventh meeting, and designated Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, East Sea, and Samcheok, Gangwon Province, as hydrogen-specialized complexes.

Pohang will invest KRW 190 billion over the next five years to create a hydrogen fuel complex cluster for power generation.

Reporter Lee Yun-jae reports.

[Reporter]
It is a hydrogen fuel cell certification center in Pohang Techno Park.

It is a place to test and certify the power generation efficiency and heat recovery efficiency of fuel cells developed by hydrogen companies.

Hydrogen fuel cells are equipment that generates electricity and heat using hydrogen and are eco-friendly power generation facilities without carbon emissions.

In particular, it is attracting attention as a new energy source because it can be installed close to where there is an electricity demand.

[Bae Young-ho / Pohang Techno Park Director: If you supply hydrogen, it will continue to generate electricity, so you can think of it as a kind of power generation device. It can also be used as a medium-sized power plant in the city center. And if you make it small, it's also for private houses....]

The government's Hydrogen Economy Committee designated Pohang as a specialized complex by paying attention to the base of the hydrogen fuel cell industry and research personnel.

Companies that have already entered the hydrogen industry in the region are expected to receive government support as well as the consolidation of related companies.

[Ahn Byung-gap / Head of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Company: Using special regulations and government support measures, we can export more or R&D (R&D) and increase sales....]

Pohang City predicted that it will create synergy with the existing steel industry as it was designated as a bio and hydrogen specialization complex following a secondary battery specialization complex last year.

[Lee Kang-deok / Pohang Mayor of North Gyeongsang Province: The secondary battery industry and the bio industry have been designated as specialized complexes along with the steel industry, which laid a great foundation for diversifying industries along with the hydrogen industry]

The Pohang Hydrogen Specialized Complex will invest KRW 190 billion over the next five years to create infrastructure for testing, evaluation, and demonstration.

Attention is focusing on whether the specialized complex, which will be built with 40 soccer fields here in Pohang Blue Valley National Industrial Complex, will be able to establish itself as the center of Korea's hydrogen industry.

I'm YTN Lee Yunjae.

Reporter for shooting
: Jeon Dae-woong