President Kim Jong-kap of Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO).

Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) has succeeded in verifying a technology to store liquid hydrogen. KEPCO became the first Korean company to obtain a related technology certification from Korea Gas Safety Corp.

KEPCO succeeded in verifying of storing of 20 normal cubic meters (Nm3) of liquid hydrogen per hour using hydrogen storage liquid technology (LOHC), the power company said on March 9.

LOHC (Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier) technology, developed by KEPCO, is capable of storing hydrogen in liquid compounds, which leads to storage and transportation as well as cheaper transportation costs.

If and when hydrogen reacts with dibenzyltoluene (DBT), a hydrogen storage liquid, and a catalyst under given conditions (temperature of between 50 degrees and 180 degrees Celsius and pressure 50 times more than atmosphere pressure), it is absorbed and stored into a liquid compound.

If and when hydrogen reacts with a catalyst under given conditions (temperature of more than 250 degrees Celsius and pressure 50 times more than air pressure), it is separated from the stored liquid, and the separated hydrogen storage liquid can be reused.

Assuming about 1 kg of hydrogen is charged per EV car unit, a 100-liter LOHC can charge each EV car unit, and there is no danger of leakage, even if hydrogen is stored for more than 1 year.

“LOHC has proven to be higher compared to the conventional condensation storage methods in terms of storage volumes, safety and economic feasibility,” a KEPCO official said. KEPCO Research Institute will make all-out efforts to develop new energy technologies to comply with the government’s eco-friendly policies, the official added.

A researcher with KEPCO Research Institute sets in motion a hydrogen storage liquid technology (LOHC) facility. (Photos: KEPCO)

Korea Electric Power Corp. was selected as one of the 33 CIO 100 Award winners, the power company said on March 11. CIO (Chief Information Officer) 100 Awards, hosted by the global research firm IDG, are presented to 100 companies and organizations considered excellent for IT-based creative innovation performances each year.

Award winners are finalized through an initial screening by 50 outside committee members, including CIOs and professors, and experts’ secondary in-depth verification.

KEPCO was highly praised for opening big data services to the private sector such as the provision of social welfare solutions using power big data and the opening of the power big data integration center.

KEPCO has been credited with becoming the first Korean public entity to not only combine power dig data and private sector big data but also develop and offer diverse social welfare solutions.

Among social welfare solutions, implemented by KEPCO is inquiring the safety of underprivileged one person household and analyzing urban vulnerable districts designed to prevent the occurrence of crimes.

KEPCO & Power Subsidiaries Donate 3.2B Won to Combat Virus

Korea Electric Power Corp. contributed 3.2 billion won to the Community Chest of Korea to provide support to overcome the crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19 in cooperation with its power subsidiaries.

Half of the money will be delivered to the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do area, hit hardest by the epidemic, and the remainder will be distributed to other parts of the nation.

Among the participatory donators are KEPCO, KHNP, KOEN, KOMIPO, KOWEPO, KOSPO, EWP, KEPCO E&C, KEPCO KPS, and KNF. KEPCO also plans to supply hygienic goods to the conventional markets reeling from the fallout, caused by the spreads of the virus.