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The largest international hydrogen exhibition in Korea, H2 MEET 2024, opened on September 25 at KINTEX Exhibition Center 1 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
The H2 MEET Organizing Committee (Chairperson Nam-hoon Kang), composed of the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA), H2KOREA, Hydrogen Network (HYNET), Korea Energy Agency, and the Korea Industry Alliance Forum (KIAF), announced that 317 companies and organizations from 24 countries are participating in H2 MEET 2024. The event discusses the development of the hydrogen economy and the importance of global cooperation, providing a vital stepping stone for Korea to become a global hydrogen hub.
H2 MEET 2024 offers a comprehensive view of the hydrogen industry value chain, showcasing the latest technologies and trends in hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization.
Additionally, the event hosts the ‘H2 MEET Conference,’ where global hydrogen industry experts present the latest technological trends and discuss future cooperation. The conference features over 150 speakers, including industry leaders, policymakers, and experts from Korea and abroad.
The event also includes the ‘H2 Innovation Award,’ which aims to discover innovative technologies and leading companies in the hydrogen sector. Ten award-winning companies will present their technologies during the exhibition.
Nam-hoon Kang, Chairperson of the H2 MEET Organizing Committee, emphasized in his opening speech, “Due to global warming, this summer saw unprecedented heatwaves. The average number of tropical nights in Seoul, which was only 4.7 days per year in the 1970s, has increased to 24.2 days per year since the 2000s, reaching 39 days this year. Additionally, the global energy supply crisis triggered by the Ukraine-Russia war has actively prompted major countries to pursue energy independence policies for national security. These factors highlight the importance of hydrogen, which is becoming a key energy source for climate change response and energy security.”
Chairperson Kang noted that while the global hydrogen industry is still in its early stages, experts predict rapid growth in 2030 when hydrogen production and distribution become more price-competitive. The clean hydrogen market is expected to grow from $642 billion in 2030 to $1.4 trillion by 2050.
He explained that over 60 countries actively promote their hydrogen industries by announcing hydrogen strategies and roadmaps, offering subsidies, building infrastructure, and investing in R&D.
Kang highlighted that Korea also responds to this global trend by advancing as a hydrogen economy leader. Korea was the first in the world to establish hydrogen laws in 2020 and is actively promoting the supply of 300,000 hydrogen vehicles by 2030. The country has also introduced the world’s first clean hydrogen power generation obligation system. Furthermore, Korea is expanding high-level cooperation in the hydrogen sector with key countries like the U.S. and Japan while driving its hydrogen industry based on public-private collaboration.
H2 MEET, now in its fifth year, has grown qualitatively and quantitatively since its launch in 2020, driving the development of the hydrogen industry. The event started with 108 companies from 11 countries in its first year. It expanded nearly threefold to 317 companies from 24 countries, establishing itself as a leading global exhibition for hydrogen sector cooperation and exchange.
The bold investments in the hydrogen sector by major companies and local governments participating in this year’s event are noteworthy. Hyundai Motor Group is expanding its business across the entire hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization value chain to accelerate the global hydrogen economy. The company is strengthening its leadership in mobility, including hydrogen cars, trucks, buses, ships, and aircraft while pioneering clean energy projects such as converting bioplastic waste into hydrogen energy.
Korea Zinc has recently launched a hydrogen refueling station for hydrogen forklifts and is developing a hydrogen production hub based on renewable energy in Australia.
Other Korean companies are also developing advanced hydrogen technologies to secure global competitiveness in all areas of the hydrogen ecosystem, including production, storage, transportation, and utilization.
This year, the active participation of local governments is also notable. Gyeonggi Province is actively promoting constructing a hydrogen economy city, Uljin County is pursuing large-scale clean hydrogen production based on nuclear energy, and Gangwon Province is building a hydrogen energy innovation facility. These local governments are also expanding synergies by linking with regional technoparks.
Chairperson Kang explained, “During the event, over 150 experts will share the latest technology trends in the global hydrogen industry and expand networking opportunities through the Leaders Summit and Tech Day. This year marks the first Korea-Japan-China Hydrogen Mobility Forum, along with Country Days featuring the participation of the U.S., Australia, Canada, Chile, and Norway, providing a platform for cooperation and exchange on hydrogen policies and industry technologies across 24 countries.”He added, “Besides awards for hydrogen-related innovative technologies, we are hosting a KOTRA export consultation meeting to support companies’ innovation activities and global partnerships actively. H2 MEET 2024 has merged with H2WORLD this year, evolving into the top global hydrogen industry exhibition. We have actively encouraged the participation of global speakers and worked to provide practical opportunities for global cooperation to Korean companies. We will do our best to make this a global platform for public-private cooperation and exchange across the entire hydrogen industry ecosystem, fostering the development of innovative technologies and new business opportunities.”
With the participation of organizations worldwide, H2 MEET is a specialized hydrogen industry exhibition focusing on hydrogen production, storage/transportation, and utilization. This year’s exhibition expanded global participation, providing a platform for tangible results and enabling attendees to experience Korea’s hydrogen economy ecosystem. The event has integrated with H2WORLD and is being held concurrently with the 2024 K-BATTERY SHOW (Battery Material, Component, and Equipment Exhibition) and HARFKO 2024 (Heating, Air-Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Fluid Exhibition Korea) at KINTEX 1. |
