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POSCO PLANTEC (President: KIM Bok-Tae) decided to work together with professional firms, OTC and PIELDS Engineering, for the purpose of technical exchanges concerning hydrogen production.

POSCO PLANTEC on the 15th of this month executed a business collaboration agreement on technical exchanges for hydrogen production with these companies, including comparative analysis of autothermal reforming and steam methane reforming.

Steam methane reforming method is a way to produce hydrogen through catalytic reactions with high-temperature (700℃ to 1,100℃)/high-pressure steam (3bar-25bar) from methane where the heat from combustion of natural gas ignites the reactions.

This is quite a universal method; however, it causes a problem of generating carbon dioxide during combustion of natural gas in addition to excessive energy consumption for generation of high temperature.

On the other hand, autothermal reforming method is a technology combined with steam methane reforming and partial oxidation methods where the heat required for steam methane reforming is self-supplied by exothermic reactions from partial oxidation method.

With this method, it is easier to reduce the quantity of natural gas used and carbon dioxide generated and to capture carbon dioxide, and it also has merits with capability to reduce the area of land required for installation of equipment, compared to the steam.

Especially, this hydrogen production method is better for companies equipped with existing oxygen production facilities.

Based on this agreement, these three companies are to provide tailored solutions according to the needs of customers, including reduction of carbon generation and technology to save costs and necessary lands, by comparing and analyzing the weakness and strength of these production methods.

To accomplish given tasks, OTC will engage in comparative analysis on hydrogen production methods, such as SMR and ATR, while PIELDS Engineering grafts its engineering capability accumulated from facility designs as well as production and construction designs of hydrogen production plants.

Also, POSCO PLANTEC delivers its cooperation based on its know-hows and capability of comprehensively performing the projects, including construction of hydrogen production plant and hydrogen pipes, as evidenced at Pohang/Gwangyang Steelworks.

These companies plan to make contributions to climate change responses and Carbon Net Zero through production of blue hydrogen grafted with carbon dioxide capture/storage technology.

MIN Young-Wi, the head of POSCO PLANTEC New Business Center, said, “We aim to further upgrade hydrogen-related technology based on open innovation by fully cooperating with all specialized companies in the future and continue contributing to advancement of the hydrogen-reduced steel and hydrogen industries.”