(Kwak Byong Sung, President of Korea Institute of Energy Research)

"We are facing an absolute crisis that threatens the survival of mankind by making the Earth get warmer and warmer over the last 200 years.

"Predictions of the disastrous consequences of global warming (such as the IPCC report) have already begun to appear publicly since more than 20 years ago.

So beginning with the Kyoto Protocol in 2007 until the Paris Agreement in 2015, global warming has been recognized as a threat to the survival of all people.In order to inherit this beautiful blue star to our descendants so that they can continue to live on, we must find the answer. Depending on fossil fuels to get energy, we can not cool the earth that gets hotter and hotter. In addition, clean energy sources such as solar energy and wind power, need efforts such as linkage with various energy sources to replace energy sources called fossil fuels because of its localism and intermittency as natural phenomena. To this end, the hydrogen economy suggests a vision to prevent the emission of greenhouse gases from the use of fossil fuels and to use renewable energy sources more actively.

It is desirable to understand hydrogen as an energy carrier that can utilize various energy sources rather than as energy sources such as petroleum, coal, natural gas, sunlight, and wind power.

For the sake of understanding, for example, when hydrogen is produced by reacting with water vapor without burning it directly, and then put into a device called a fuel cell with air, we can produce heat and electricity.

In addition, the only byproducts made from fuel cells are water. If the electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as sunlight or wind power is supplied to a water electrolysis device (water electrolysis technology) to produce and use hydrogen, a complete de-carbon energy system will be established, significantly reducing fine dust generated from the use of fossil fuels and threatening the health of the people recently.

Therefore, Korea is actively investing in and supporting this technology. Already in 2013, Hyundai Motor built the world's first mass-production line for hydrogen cars, and the Korean government announced a roadmap to activate the hydrogen economy centered on hydrogen cars and fuel cells in January this year. Accordingly, local governments are also announcing plans for building a hydrogen energy platform.

However, there are many oppositions to the hydrogen economy because of the problems such as hydrogen production technology and the efficiency of traditional development methods. In particular, in the early days of the hydrogen economy, most of the hydrogen supply has no choice but to be dependent on extraction from fossil fuels, which causes some criticism since it releases carbon dioxide.

However, even if the extracted hydrogen, so-called gray hydrogen, is used, the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the energy production stage to the automobile operation is reduced to about 60% of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions of gasoline vehicles.

As the proportion of renewable energy utilization increases thanks to policies such as Renewable Energy 3020, hydrogen production (green hydrogen) capacity will be enhanced through water electrolysis. There are methods to be considered such as that hydrogen produced by water electrolysis at a low price of renewable energy generation is liquefied like LNG or stored in a medium for importation.

Furthermore, though the centralized power generation method is effective, the distinction between the energy producing area and the consuming area causes the social conflict following the power station and transmission tower construction.

This conflict can be solved through a distributed generation method based on the hydrogen economy that can break the boundaries between energy consumers and producers. First, hydrogen can be produced and stored using a portion of backup power or electricity generated by sunlight or wind power, etc., and then if necessary, fuel cells can be used to supply electricity and heat to increase the self-sufficiency rate.

Here, we can apply ICT such as cryptocurrency and introduce a system that can share and trade hydrogen produced in the local community, such as 'hydrogen station' and 'hydrogen coin'.

In other words, individuals and urban centers who exist only as energy consumers in the traditional way of power generation can be the main agent of energy democratization, who can produce and share energy.

Indeed, fossil fuels and nuclear power have been the driving force behind the remarkable growth of human civilization over the last two centuries.

But tensions and conflicts surrounding them, as well as existing and potential environmental problems, are threatening us. As mentioned above, on the basis of the hydrogen economy, it is possible to expand the supply of renewable energy and to derive clean and safe use of traditional energy sources.

Moreover, the boundaries between producers and consumers of energy will fall apart and a new energy ecosystem will be built. In the future society, a new energy paradigm called hydrogen economy will be established for the survival and development of mankind.