Utility Global, a U.S.-based company specializing in industrial decarbonization, has signed its first commercial project agreement in South Korea for an H2Gen project in Daejeon. The agreement was made with SAMJIN E&I, a Korean industrial manufacturing and project development company, and marks a significant milestone in Utility Global's global expansion into low-carbon fuels.
Project Details
The engineering services agreement will advance the project from front-end loading (FEL-1) through FEL-3 to a final investment decision (FID), targeted by June 2027. When operational, the H2Gen plant will produce 3.5 tons per day of fuel cell grade hydrogen, intended for a fleet of hydrogen-powered trams in Daejeon. This will be the first project of its kind in South Korea.
Strategic Importance
Daejeon is emerging as a key hydrogen hub, with significant investments in infrastructure and production to support sustainable energy and transport decarbonization. This project aligns with South Korea's growing hydrogen economy and represents Utility Global's first commercial low-carbon fuels project outside the USA.
Parker Meeks, CEO of Utility Global, stated: “Reaching this milestone underscores how we translate clean energy ambition into economically viable, real-world projects. South Korea’s leadership in hydrogen innovation makes it an ideal market to demonstrate how localized H2Gen deployment can support industrial and transportation transition to clean fuels.”
Ho Young Jeong, CEO of SAMJIN E&I, added: “This engineering services agreement represents meaningful progress from collaboration to execution. SAMJIN is proud to work with Utility as we believe its H2Gen technology can support the advancement of decentralized hydrogen infrastructure in South Korea.”
Technology Overview
Utility Global's proprietary H2Gen technology converts water into clean hydrogen and a high-purity carbon dioxide stream without electricity, using industrial off-gases and biogases. The process reduces costs and complexity around carbon capture, utilization, or sequestration (CCUS). The modular system is designed to integrate into existing industrial infrastructure for applications in steel, refining, petrochemicals, chemicals, mobility, low-carbon fuels, and distributed energy systems.
