On October 30, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sunghwan will visit Ulsan, a representative industrial city, as part of efforts to support industrial transformation toward carbon neutrality. 

Minister Kim will first attend the groundbreaking ceremony for Hyundai Motor Company’s Ulsan Fuel Cell System Plant, followed by visits to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ eco-friendly engine production plant, S-Oil’s Shaheen Project site, and Korea Zinc’s Onsan Smelter located in the Onsan National Industrial Complex. During these visits, he plans to inspect sites undergoing decarbonization and eco-friendly industrial transitions and listen to the difficulties faced by companies.

As his first engagement, Minister Kim will attend the groundbreaking ceremony for Hyundai Motor Company’s Ulsan Fuel Cell System Plant, where he will urge industry officials to pursue technological development and innovation for the green transition of the mobility industry. He also plans to examine the hydrogen fuel cell systems and water electrolysis equipment to be produced at the plant, as well as hydrogen-powered mobility such as hydrogen trucks and hydrogen excavators that utilize these technologies. The plant is scheduled to begin mass production of hydrogen fuel cell systems and water electrolysis equipment, which are key technologies for decarbonized mobility, in 2027. Upon completion, it is expected to serve as a central hub for hydrogen mobility power.

Next, Minister Kim will visit HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ eco-friendly engine production plant located in Dong-gu, Ulsan, to review technologies for eco-friendly ships and their core engine systems, and to inspect the progress of carbon neutrality initiatives in the shipbuilding and maritime industries. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is developing next-generation fuel engines powered by methanol and ammonia and is building eco-friendly ships equipped with these engines.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a goal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the shipbuilding and maritime sectors by 2050 and is calling for a transition of ship energy sources to low- and zero-carbon fuels and technologies. 

In response, Minister Kim plans to encourage on-site staff at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, emphasize the importance of developing eco-friendly ship engine technologies amid global environmental regulations, and urge the company to strengthen its role as a hub for the maritime mobility industry.

For the next part of his schedule, Minister Kim will visit the site of S-Oil’s Shaheen Project* site located in the Onsan National Industrial Complex. There, he will emphasize the need for the refining and petrochemical industries to actively engage in transitioning to low-carbon processes in order to achieve the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). He will also state that the government plans to work together with the industrial sector to develop joint strategies for decarbonizing the industry. 

* Shaheen Project: An investment project (worth KRW 9.3 trillion, 2022-2026) that integrates refining and petrochemical processes, expected to enhance energy efficiency and deliver related benefits

As the final stop of his visit to industrial sites in Ulsan, Minister Kim will visit Korea Zinc’s Onsan Smelter, located within the Onsan National Industrial Complex. Korea Zinc plans to present its proposal to convert its currently operating coal-fired combined heat and power plant into a green hydrogen-based combined power plant, aiming to contribute to national greenhouse gas reduction efforts and transition toward a green metal production system.

Minister Kim Sunghwan stated, “The industrial sites in Ulsan present a blueprint for the future competitiveness of Korea’s industries in the coming era of carbon neutrality.” He added, “The government will actively support corporate innovation efforts to achieve decarbonization of land and maritime mobility and the transition to eco-friendly energy.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com