South Korea to auction more hydrogen power

October auction to allow use of grey hydrogen ahead of expected tightening of criteria in 2024

South Korea is pressing ahead with a second auction of electricity capacity from hydrogen power plants. Operator Korea Power Exchange (KPX) will accept bids during 6–13 October for a second auction to award 650GWh of electricity contracts to hydrogen-based power generators, with the contracts to be awarded in November. However, as with the first auction, October’s tender will allow bidders to fuel their systems using so-called “general hydrogen”—namely byproduct hydrogen from industrial processes or grey hydrogen from gas/LNG, potentially undermining the country’s emissions reduction goals. The first clean hydrogen power auction—which will not allow gas or byproduct hydrogen to compete—will