Global hydrogen alliance debuts in Seoul

By

 Tim Kim

 -

May 25, 2022

Moon Jae-do will lead GHIAA as an inaugural head

Representatives from a total of 18 countries got together on May 25 to debut a global organization grouping hydrogen-associated outfits so as to establish a new ecosystem focusing on hydrogen.

South Korea’s H2Korea has played an active role in setting up the organization, dubbed the Global Hydrogen Industrial Association Alliance (GHIAA), over the past years.

As a result, H2Korea head Moon Jae-do was elected to head the GHIAA through 2024. Moon worked for the country’s industry ministry and led the state-run Korea Trade Insurance Corporation.

“There are so many opportunities, which we have to realize to achieve the global hydrogen economy,” Moon said in the launching ceremony of the GHIAA.

“Toward that end, the 18 members of the GHIAA will work together. The GHIAA would become a platform for joint technology development and investments.”

Other members are hydrogen outfits from such countries as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, and Singapore.

After the launching event, the participants held a forum to discuss ways of supporting the hydrogen industries and sharing government policies of the 18 countries.

On Thursday, they visited the World Gas Conference, which is underway in South Korea, and a factory of Hyundai Motor that churns out hydrogen vehicles.

Participants expressed their hypes for the newly-established alliance.

“The UK has ambitious targets for hydrogen in delivering net-zero, with up to 35 percent of final energy consumption anticipated to be from hydrogen by 2050. Industry and Government are working together to scale up both production, technology, supply chains, and the demand side,” UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (HFCA) CEO Celia Greaves said.

“International collaboration will be key to meeting our objectives, and the UK HFCA is delighted to be one of the founding members of the GHIAA.”