Hyosung Heavy Industries achieved a milestone as its one-megawatt hydrogen-powered generator completed 1,400 hours of continuous winter operation, reinforcing the technology’s commercial viability throughout extreme weather conditions.
The generator, installed at Hyosung Chemical’s Yongyeon plant in Ulsan last April, runs exclusively on hydrogen and produces zero carbon emissions when using pure hydrogen fuel. The company passed rigorous safety inspections from both Korea Gas Safety Corporation and Korea Electrical Safety Corporation before commercial deployment.
While competitors worldwide are still in testing phases, Hyosung has emerged as the first to successfully commercialize and demonstrate sustained operation of a hydrogen-only generator at this scale. The system’s flexible start-stop capability positions it as a potential complement to intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
The generator’s design, which shares similarities with automotive engines, allows for integration with existing maintenance infrastructure. This approach reduces operational costs and enables the use of both high and low-purity hydrogen, as well as hydrogen-natural gas blends.
The successful winter trial follows summer performance verification, marking a full-cycle operational achievement. This positions the South Korean industrial group to expand in the growing clean energy market as countries pursue carbon reduction targets.
Hyosung’s advancement comes as global manufacturers race to develop hydrogen power solutions, though most rivals remain in early development stages. The company’s early lead could prove valuable as industrial firms worldwide seek proven zero-emission power generation technologies.
