Organizations will collaborate to advance the safe transition to a worldwide hydrogen economy
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on January 13, 2020, between The Center for Hydrogen Safety (CHS), a global technical community within the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), and Gangwon Technopark (GWTP), a government agency within South Korea’s Gangwon Province, inviting CHS to provide expert safety reviews of hydrogen fueling stations (HFS) and production facilities in South Korea.
The MoU was signed by Nick Barilo, Director of the CHS, and Seong In (Steven) Kim, President and Chief Executive Officer of GWTP, at AIChE’s global headquarters in New York City, and represents the latest partnership in CHS’s global mission to support the safe and timely rollout of critical hydrogen infrastructure. “The CHS welcomes the opportunity to support this important and timely activity and looks forward to an impactful collaboration,” said Barilo.
Barilo commended GWTP, responsible for the oversight of the province’s industries and technology deployment, and the people of Gangwon Province for their dedication to ensuring safety in South Korea’s energy transition. He noted the significance of the investments of the South Korean government toward hydrogen fuel technologies, a critical need recently highlighted by the Hydrogen Council, a global CEO-led initiative of 60 leading energy, transport and industry companies fostering the hydrogen economy, and a strategic partner of CHS. South Korea has committed to build 310 HFS and deploy over 65,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2022. The Gangwon province alone plans to construct six hydrogen fueling stations and two hydrogen gas production facilities in 2020.
“It is only through these collaborative international efforts that we will enable stakeholder and public confidence and accelerate the adoption of this transformative technology,” said Barilo.
The CHS supports the safe advancement of hydrogen as a sustainable energy carrier to its global corporate partners by facilitating access to hydrogen safety experts; developing comprehensive safety guidance, outreach and education materials; and providing a forum to partner on world-wide technical solutions. In addition, CHS provides significant expertise in hydrogen safety through its Hydrogen Safety Panel resource, which has reviewed more than 350 projects with the goal of helping hydrogen industries attain a record of excellence in safety.
CHS is one of several technology communities operated by AIChE that proactively shares technical and safety information and resources with diverse users. AIChE and CHS also facilitate education and consistent application of technical and safety standards through courses, conferences, publications, and online tools.
To learn more about the Center for Hydrogen Safety, including membership opportunities, contact nickb@aiche.org.
About AIChE
AIChE is a professional society of 60,000 chemical engineers in 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontiers of chemical engineering research in such areas as energy, sustainability, biological and environmental engineering, nanotechnology and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.
About Center for Hydrogen Safety
Founded in 2018, the Center for Hydrogen Safety (CHS) is a not-for-profit, non-biased, corporate membership organization that promotes the safe operation, handling, and use of hydrogen and hydrogen systems across all installations and applications. A global technical community within the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the CHS builds upon the technical expertise embodied by AIChE, its Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), and partnering organizations to identify and address concerns regarding the safe use of hydrogen as a sustainable energy carrier, in commercial and industrial applications, and in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Visit www.aiche.org/CHS.
About Gangwon Technopark
The GWTP is a government agency of South Korea that is in charge of development of technologies and industries in Gangwon province in Korea.
About the Hydrogen Council
Launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2017, the Hydrogen Council is a first-of-its-kind global CEO initiative to foster the role of hydrogen technologies in the global energy transition. The coalition of 60 members from across industry sectors and key markets collectively represents total revenues of over €2.6 trillion and close to 4.2 million jobs around the world. The Hydrogen Council helps to facilitate collaboration between key stakeholders, hosts events geared toward international advocacy, and educates the public about the power of hydrogen. To date, the Council has published three studies exploring the role of hydrogen in the energy transition and detailing a comprehensive vision of the long-term potential of hydrogen and a roadmap for deployment. To find out more, visit www.hydrogencouncil.com and follow us on Twitter @HydrogenCouncil.
# # #