The next-generation blue hydrogen-based clean hydrogen production technology, jointly developed by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) with five power generation companies and private enterprises, has been officially listed as an international standard (ISO 19870). The Hydrogen Technologies Committee under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) finally registered the technology in the hydrogen production sector of its methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in the hydrogen supply chain.

Unlike conventional blue hydrogen methods, this technology omits the carbon dioxide capture and separation process when producing hydrogen from natural gas. As a result, production efficiency increases by approximately 10 percentage points, and the clean hydrogen price is reduced by about 30%.

The KEPCO Research Institute has been developing the next-generation clean hydrogen production technology jointly with Korea Midland Power since 2020. In 2022, it secured the core technology by developing a 20kW-class system for the first time in South Korea, and subsequently accelerated the development of a commercial-grade system in collaboration with the five power generation companies, JNK Global, and Geumyang Green Power. This year, a 100kW-class pilot system was established, and in 2027, KEPCO plans to promote the world's first demonstration of a 1MW-class commercial system capable of producing 230 tons per year in Incheon. In the long term, the plan is to expand this into a 'local production, local consumption' clean hydrogen power generation model linked with fuel cells and gas turbines.

This international standard registration is the result of the technology's excellence being officially recognized through 29 months of phased meetings, reviews, and voting by ISO member countries. KEPCO plans to use this achievement as a stepping stone to further strengthen its domestic and international clean hydrogen new businesses and its competitiveness in the global market.

KEPCO President Kim Dong-cheol stated, "This international standard registration is the result of the international community officially recognizing the excellence of the next-generation clean hydrogen technology developed by KEPCO," adding, "We will lead the clean hydrogen market through the world's first commercial-grade demonstration and contribute to the realization of national carbon neutrality."