Global hydrogen alliance launches in Seoul

SEOUL, May 26 (UPI) -- Delegates from 18 countries participated in a ceremony to launch a global alliance of hydrogen-related organizations in Seoul, physically or virtually.

Included in the members of the Global Hydrogen Industrial Association Alliance are the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, China, Spain, Singapore, Colombia, and South Korea.

The participants on Wednesday elected H2Korea's chief Moon Jae-do as the inaugural chairman of the new organization. The former government bureaucrat will lead the alliance over the next two years and the secretariat will be operated in Seoul during his term.

"To achieve the global hydrogen economy, we need to collaborate to realize so many opportunities lying ahead of us. Hence, our inaugural meeting's slogan is collaborations and opportunities," Moon said.

"The GHIAA would try to become a platform for developing technology and making investments to achieve the hydrogen economy. In addition, we will work on making standards for the related business," he said.

U.S. representative Frank Wolak, head of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, hopes the new organization will bring innovation to the hydrogen industry.

"International coordination and collaboration will be critical to advancing this industry, which has immense potential to drive global decarbonization and economic growth," Wolak said.

After the launching event, the participants held a forum to discuss ways of supporting the hydrogen industries and sharing government policies of the 18 countries.

On Thursday, they visited the World Gas Conference, which is underway in South Korea, and a factory of Hyundai Motor that churns out hydrogen vehicles.