South Korea's Yuldong-With-U: Pioneering Carbon-Neutral Living with Hydrogen Apartments
Key Ideas
- The Yuldong-With-U apartment complex in Ulsan, South Korea, utilizes hydrogen fuel cells to provide heat and electricity, potentially reducing energy costs by 20% to 40% compared to city gas.
- The complex's Combined Heat and Power Plant efficiently produces electricity and heat from hydrogen, with minimal environmental impacts and cost-effectiveness.
- Three container-sized fuel cells on the rooftop generate up to 1.32 MW of electricity from hydrogen per hour, also storing heat that is used for heating homes, ensuring efficient energy usage.
- Since its operation on June 1, the complex has produced around 840 MW of electricity, showcasing the viability and benefits of hydrogen as an alternative energy source for sustainable urban living.
The Yuldong-With-U apartment complex in Ulsan, South Korea, has introduced the world's first 'hydrogen apartment' complex, a pioneering move in sustainable urban living. This innovative building harnesses heat and electricity from hydrogen fuel cells, potentially leading to significant energy cost savings. The complex, comprising 437 apartment units, relies on the Yuldong Combined Heat and Power Plant located nearby to efficiently produce electricity and heat with minimal environmental impact. By utilizing hydrogen pipelined from various industrial activities to the plant, it achieves cost-effectiveness in energy production. The rooftop of the complex houses three container-sized fuel cells that generate 1.32 MW of electricity from hydrogen per hour, providing ample power for the apartments while storing heat for heating purposes. The official operation of the complex on June 1 marked the successful production of around 840 MW of electricity, valued at approximately US$109,000. This initiative highlights the growing importance of hydrogen as an alternative energy source, setting a new standard for sustainable urban living and showcasing the possibilities of carbon-neutral housing.