Opening of hydrogen power generation bidding market… Volume has decreased significantly compared to last year

‘Coal-ammonia co-fired power generation’ withdrawn from clean hydrogen market

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jaeyoung Lee = A hydrogen power generation bidding market has been opened, the size of which has been greatly reduced compared to last year.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment opened the 2026 hydrogen power generation bidding market at 7 p.m. on the 30th.

The hydrogen power generation bidding market is a system for purchasing and supplying electricity produced using hydrogen or hydrogen compounds as fuel.

Looking at the size of this bid, 'clean hydrogen power generation' is 500GWh per year (gigawatt hour, transaction period 15 years), and 'general hydrogen power generation' is 930GWh (transaction period 20 years).

Compared to last year (3,000 GWh per year for clean hydrogen and 1,300 GWh for general hydrogen), the volume has decreased significantly.

The general hydrogen power generation market was opened for the first time in the world in June 2023, and the clean hydrogen power generation market was opened for the first time in the world in May 2024, but many say the market has not yet been revitalized.

Along with the reduction in volume, 'coal-ammonia co-fired power generation', which generates power by mixing coal and ammonia, has been expelled from the clean hydrogen power generation market.

It has been pointed out that the method of producing electricity by reducing coal and replacing it with ammonia theoretically reduces greenhouse gas emissions, but it emits air pollutants such as fine dust, serves as an alibi for extending the life of coal-fired power plants, and is not economically feasible.

From this time on, the first evaluation will be conducted to select a multiple of 1.5 based only on ‘non-price indicators’ such as ‘industry and economic contribution’ and ‘greenhouse gas reduction contribution’ to the clean hydrogen power generation market.

In the general hydrogen power generation market, ‘carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage plan’ was included in the evaluation index.