Hydrogen is a simple molecule that only produces water after combustion, and is seen by many as the ultimate source of clean energy. In line with global net zero goals, the Taiwan government announced Taiwan’s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050 in March 2022. The objective of the plan is to increase the percentage of power generated by hydrogen from 9% to 12% by 2050. In June 2022, ITRI released the Taiwan 2050 Hydrogen Application Development Technology Blueprint to support the government’s energy transformation strategy. The blueprint proposes hydrogen energy technology development strategies for the next three decades, focusing on three major domains: power generation, vehicles, and industries. These strategies will create new business opportunities in the field of hydrogen energy.

Hydrogen can become a source of electricity via full cells, and ITRI has performed research on fuel cells since 1987. In 2002, ITRI established the Taiwan Fuel Cell Partnership, integrating upstream, midstream, and downstream fuel cell businesses, improving the technical capabilities of the industry, and establishing the foundation for Taiwan’s hydrogen applications. In 2006, ITRI transferred Bipolar Plate technology, a key component of hydrogen fuel cells, to industry, which promoted hydrogen energy development and attracted more companies to invest in fuel cell production. In 2015, ITRI’s hydrogen energy station on the ITRI Southern Region Campus became the first laboratory in Asia to pass the UL evaluation for fuel cell test and certification, an indication of meeting international certification. In 2022, ITRI spun off a startup company focused on developing metallic bipolar plates, promoting applications for hydrogen fuel cells.

ITRI has also introduced various technologies that cover hydrogen production, storage, and applications. These include the low-cost High-efficiency Hydrogen Filtration Purification Module, which can purify, recycle, and reuse residual hydrogen from semiconductor and petrochemical manufacturing processes; the Renewable Energy Electrolysis Hydrogen Production System that uses self-developed catalysts/membrane technology to produce hydrogen with high efficiency, low cost, and zero pollution; the Hydrogen Storage Cylinder for Vehicles, which is manufactured using carbon fiber composite materials and automatic winding technology to make hydrogen vehicles lighter and safer; and a Hydrogen Fuel Cell system used to generate electricity using residual hydrogen from industrial processes. ITRI collaborated with companies such as Asia Hydrogen Energy Corp. and Marketech International Corp. to develop Taiwan’s technological capabilities, establish a hydrogen energy industry chain, and work towards achieving the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.