Foreign companies show interest in wind power in South Korea

A growing number of globally significant names in wind power are entering the South Korean market. In addition, domestic power companies are increasing their cooperation with the foreign companies. Under the current circumstances, this will further increase the country’s dependence on foreign wind power. For example, Vesta, the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea’s South-East Power and CS Wind last month. Orsted, the world’s largest producer of offshore wind power, had already established a subsidiary in South Korea two years ago and is now participating in a 1.6 GW wind power project in Incheon. The wind farm is scheduled to be commissioned in 2026. The Danish company invested the equivalent of US$6.75 billion in the project and is working on it together with POSCO. According to an agreement reached between the two companies, POSCO will supply steel parts to Orsted, and the electricity generated by wind power will be used to produce green hydrogen. Such steel parts and also other components can often be subject to KC certification in Korea, i.e. they must undergo product certification before they can be sold and used in the respective market.

 

 

Overall, there is increasing interest from international companies in the growing market for wind power in South Korea. This is according to information and figures from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Plans are in place to expand the country’s annual wind power capacity to 12 GW by 2030. This would put South Korea among the global top 5. To achieve this goal, the ministry is allocating the equivalent of $55.7 billion in funding for the construction of wind farms and $38.8 billion for a 20-year operating period. Meanwhile, the competitiveness of South Korea’s wind power industry has not yet reached a satisfactory level. Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction is working on developing an 8 MW wind turbine, and Unison is working on a 10 MW version. However, they cannot keep up with foreign companies, including Vestas. Their wind turbines generate 12 MW of power and are already in operation in Denmark, and Vestas is already working on a 15 MW turbine.

Currently, more than half of all turbines and parts used in the wind power sector consist of imported components. Vestas’ market share is 34.3 percent, while Siemens Gamesa’s share is 10 percent. Korean companies such as Unison and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction stand at 15.4 and 13.4 percent market share, respectively. South Korea is considered one of the most important and innovative industrial nations in the world. Many products imported into South Korea have to be tested and certified in advance. MPR International GmbH recommends itself as a partner for your Korea certification. We gladly check for you without obligation if your products are subject to certification and create an attractive offer for you.

If you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs or KCs for explosion safety products, feel free to contact us any time.

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SK Global Chemical to build South Korea’s largest plastic recycling plant

SK Group company SK Global Chemical is investing the equivalent of $510 million in Ulsan to build the country’s largest plastics recycling plant. The construction is seen as a signal to transform the previously petrochemical-based company into an environmentally friendly one. To launch the project, SK Global Chemical signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city of Ulsan on July 8, 2021. The subject of the agreement is to promote plastic recycling projects. The company plans to build a plastic recycling plant using pyrolysis and depolymerization processes on an area of 160,000 square meters in Ulsan’s Mipo National Industrial Complex by 2025. Pyrolysis and depolymerization are chemical processes for recycling plastic waste. The pyrolysis plant can process up to 100,000 tons of plastic waste annually and is being built in collaboration with U.S. company Brightmark. Commissioning is planned for 2024. The pyrolysis oil produced by the process can be used as a feedstock for certain petrochemical products. Machinery and components for related recycling facilities may require Korea certification in order to be sold and used in Korea.

 

 

In addition, a polymerization plant is to be built that can process 84,000 tons of plastic waste per year. This plant is being built in collaboration with Loop Industries of Canada, a specialist in pyrolysis technology. The first part of the plant is to be built starting in 2023 and will be continuously expanded. For example, a recycling capacity of 900,000 tons is planned for 2025, and as much as 2.5 million tons for 2027. SK Global Chemical also plans to expand its recycling business to the entire Southeast Asia region. To this end, it recently invested the equivalent of $53 million for a 10 percent stake in Loop Industries. In return, SK Global Chemical received exclusive distribution rights for Loop Industries’ technology in Southeast Asia. Together, the two companies plan to build a total of four plants to process recycled PET in Asia by 2030, enabling more than 400,000 tons of PET waste to be recycled annually. The amount even exceeds the current 300,000 tons of annual PET waste from South Korea.

South Korea is considered one of the most important and innovative industrial nations in the world. Many products imported into South Korea have to be tested and certified in advance. MPR International GmbH recommends itself as a partner for your Korea certification. We gladly check for you without obligation if your products are subject to certification and create an attractive offer for you.

If you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs or KCs for explosion safety products, feel free to contact us any time.

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Successful participation in the virtual Symposium on International Automotive Technology (SIAT) in India

From September 29 to October 01, 2021, the Symposium on International Automotive Technology (SIAT) took place in India with a variety of informative expert presentations around the topic “Redefining Mobility for the Future”.

 

 

After the official opening, plenary sessions discussed a variety of topics for the future. Topics ranged from alternative energies, e-mobility, emission control, to the general challenges in the international certification market.

Julian Busch, Managing Director of MPR International from Frankfurt, gave an overview of the current challenges in the international certification market. He explained the various types of certifications, how they are applied worldwide in a comparable form and how they differ greatly nationally. In this context, the increasingly complex test requirements represent a major challenge for the manufacturers of vehicles and components.

Currently, the most important certifications for the Indian automotive market are AIS (Automotive Industry Standards) certification or a certification from the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). The product scope for BIS certification alone was expanded by 242 product groups last year. The Indian authorities plan to continue this trend.

Automotive manufacturers and Indian test centres alike benefited from the information provided at the seminars. The information is valuable since the India market is booming with projected growth into the foreseeable future making product certifications more relevant. Due to the ever-increasing complexity of regulations, it is also important for the local test infrastructure to stay up to date.

To obtain certification in India, domestic and foreign automotive manufacturers must meet the same requirements. For example, in most cases, a factory audit and product testing are required as part of the certification process for both domestic and foreign manufacturers. Some products even require more than one certification. Good preparation and knowledge of the current regulations are crucial for smooth and trouble-free trading.

We will be happy to advise you on certification in India like AIS, BIS, WPC, TEC or PESO and are always available to answer your questions.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details and consultation. You can contact us via e-mail, or call us (UK: +44 2071931135, Rest of Europe: +49 69 2713769261, US: +1 773 654-2673).
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You can also check out our free AIS-Brochure and BIS-Brochure which can be downloaded for free in PDF format.

Imports of luxury vehicles increase 74 percent year-on-year

As the market share of imported cars continues to expand, demand for luxury vehicles with a price tag equivalent to more than $85,000 increased last year. Of imported cars in this price range, 39,965 were sold in the first seven months of the current year. This represents 23.2 percent of the total 172,146 vehicles imported into South Korea during the period. The data was provided by the Korean Association of Auto Importers and Distributors. The Korean automotive market is strong; growth is recovering in manufacture and production since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. International supply lines are active and import of components, which often need KC certification, is closing in on levels comparable to 2019.

 

 

The business of imported luxury vehicles priced at $85,000 or higher grew 74 percent year-on-year. Their share within total imported vehicles rose 8 percent to 15.5 percent. Sales of expensive imported vehicles from three German automakers, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, doubled from last year. Mercedes-Benz continues to rank first with 17,524 vehicles, followed by BMW with 5,286 vehicles and Audi with 2,437 vehicles.

SUVs and cars with environmentally friendly engines are enjoying increasing popularity in the category of expensive imported vehicles. Sales of SUVs more than doubled to 21,398 units. Imported vehicles with environmentally friendly engines (hybrid, plug-in and electric) were in very high demand. Sales of these increased fourfold year-on-year to 20,470 units. Sales of these vehicles now outstrip imported luxury cars with conventional gasoline or diesel engines. Their share of imports to Korea now accounts for 51.2 percent, up from just 22.2 percent in 2020.

Is your company in the automotive industry and has or plans to have business relations with South Korea? Many products imported into South Korea must be pre-tested and certified. MPR International GmbH recommends itself as a partner for your Korea certification. We gladly check for you without obligation whether your products are subject to certification and prepare an attractive offer for you.

If you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs or KCs for explosion safety products, feel free to contact us any time.

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Korea’s LG Display invests $3 billion to double its OLED manufacturing capacity

LG Display Co. plans to invest around $3 billion to double its manufacturing capacity for small and mid-sized OLED displays. The manufacturer is now looking to extend its global leadership in TV displays to other devices with smaller screens. LG Display announced last Tuesday that its board of directors had approved the relevant investment to install a latest-generation OLED display production line at LG’s Paju factory in Gyeonggi Province. As a result, the need for imported components and equipment is also expected to increase, in many cases requiring KC certifications or KCs certifications for machinery. Commissioning is scheduled for 2024.

 

 

The new production line will double the capacity for small and medium-sized OLED displays to about 60,000 units per month. According to informed industry sources, LG will also supply OLED displays for Apple’s next-generation iPads and iPhones. For some time now, LG Display has been trying to expand its business to smaller diagonals in addition to large TV screens. While LG Display is the global market leader for OLED TV displays, Samsung Display dominates the market for smaller devices.

Last year, LG Display shipped around 25 million OLED screens for mobile devices, including Apple’s iPhone 12. However, Samsung Display remains the clear market leader in this segment with 82.1 percent market share, while LG Display is a distant second with 7.5 percent. In recent years, smartphones have increasingly been equipped with the high-quality OLED screens. According to analyses by the market researchers at Omdia, the volumes shipped will increase from the current 564 million to 773 million units by 2025. LG Display’s largest customer in the smartphone sector, Apple, has been equipping its iPhone and iPad models with OLED screens since 2017. LG Display now anticipates that other manufacturers will follow this example and also deliver their devices with OLED screens as standard.

South Korea is considered one of the most important and innovative industrial nations in the world. Many products that are imported into South Korea have to be tested and certified in advance. MPR International GmbH recommends itself as a partner for your Korea certification. We gladly check for you without obligation if your products are subject to certification and create an attractive offer for you.

If you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs or KCs for explosion safety products, feel free to contact us any time.

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Korea introduces special laws for battery and chip industry

The government reiterated its support for the domestic battery industry and related industries to develop them into a global export hit, similar to semiconductors and computer chips. New technologies are to be developed, small and medium-sized companies are to be helped, and opportunities for education and training are to be created. To discuss the details of the plan, the minister of trade, industry and energy met with representatives of local battery manufacturers at Samsung SDI’s factory in the southeastern industrial city of Ulsan. At the meeting, Moon said the administration would work to introduce special laws to support key industries such as battery manufacturing and semiconductors to stabilize supply chains and ensure future competitiveness. Growing production depends on strong supply chains needed to import KC-certified parts and components and export to foreign markets.

 

 

Moon made clear at the meeting that South Korea would continue to pursue the development of battery technology, attracting well-known companies and training skilled workers. Participants in the small summit included representatives from Samsung SDI, EcoPro BM, Chunbo, Isu Chemical, Iljin Materials and Dong-Il Aluminum. Samsung SDI is one of the country’s top three battery manufacturers, producing a wide variety of batteries for electric cars, energy storage, smartphones, electric scooters and tools. As an offshoot of the Samsung Group, the company is also a leader in research and development of new technologies.

As a result of the talks, the government will soon announce the key points of a so-called “K-Battery” strategy. The country already adopted a “K-Semiconductor” plan in May this year. In cooperation with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the goal is to create the world’s largest industrial and supplier location by 2030. LG Energy Solutions (LGES), Samsung SDI and SK Innovation (SKI) will announce their investment plans regarding the expansion of their capacities for battery products in the coming months. The government promises aid measures for the recruitment of qualified workers and tax breaks for this purpose.

South Korea is considered one of the most important and innovative industrial nations in the world. Many products imported into South Korea have to be tested and certified in advance. MPR International GmbH recommends itself as a partner for your Korea certification. We gladly check for you without obligation if your products are subject to certification and create an attractive offer for you.

If you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs or KCs for explosion safety products, feel free to contact us any time.

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New Regulations for wireless EV charging service approved

Hyundai Motor has planned a remote charging system for battery-powered electric vehicles and has achieved approval by the Korean government, as announced this week.

The government aims to boost new business opportunities and technologies by changing regulations that may hamper incentives for innovation. Hyundai Motor’s project entails cordless charging of electric cars. The concept involves receivers installed on the vehicles and at electric charging stations. Such a vision was previously impossible due to missing laws which would grant the use of frequency bands for car charging processes. The approval of the project is supposed to enable further expansion of electric vehicles and improve customer convenience, according to the ministry.

Experts hope for a further increase in EV distribution numbers on the Korean market, which has already established itself as one of the strongest expanding markets worldwide. Production has recovered strongly after the covid crisis, with increasing demands in production resources and technical components. Korean EV carmaking continues to be dependent on import of industry related products through international supply lines, which in turn requires KC, KC EMC, KCs and other Korea certification processes to ensure conformity of the products with Korean safety and quality regulations.

 

With this development Hyundai Motor is on its way to become the first Korean carmaker using wireless charging technology for its EVs. Testing is supposed to start by the fourth quarter this year to collect data to prepare for related infrastructure. These plans also include wireless charging for e-scooters, enabling remote charging.

If you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs or KCs for explosion safety products, feel free to contact us any time.

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KOGAS begins production of liquid hydrogen using cold energy from its liquefied natural gas plant

Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS) will soon begin producing liquid hydrogen using released cooling energy from its liquefied natural gas plant. KOGAS announced on May 30 that it has entered into a strategic partnership with GS Caltex regarding the production and distribution of liquid hydrogen. The two companies plan to build a large-scale hydrogen liquefaction plant with an annual capacity of 10,000 tons. The hydrogen produced will initially be sold in the Seoul metropolitan area, and later in the central region of South Korea. Major projects in this area mean increased use and production of industrially relevant parts, components and equipment, of which most must undergo KC certification or KCs certification for explosion-proof products for the Korean market.

 

 

The project will split hydrogen from natural gas and convert it into liquid hydrogen. The cooling energy required for this will come from the company’s own liquefied gas plant. The liquid hydrogen will then be transferred to tank trucks and delivered to filling stations. The plant is scheduled for completion in December 2024. Liquid hydrogen is easier to store and transport than in gas form, as its volume is reduced by a factor of 0.00125.

Production at KOGAS has the advantage of saving around 30 percent of costs due to the otherwise unused cooling energy of the liquid natural gas plant. The process at KOGAS of using the cooling energy from liquid natural gas to produce liquid hydrogen is unique in the world. The cooling energy is generated when the aggregate state of the delivered liquefied gas changes to gas form. This produces around 200 Kcal of cooling energy per kilogram. Previously, this energy was lost to the ambient air or seawater. Its recent use as an environmentally friendly energy source respectively cooling energy has attracted the attention of numerous companies to this process.

South Korea is considered one of the most important and innovative industrial nations in the world. In order to gain market access to this highly technological country, products imported into South Korea must be tested and certified. The KC mark or KC certificate is roughly equivalent to the European CE mark and applies to 730 different products. MPR International GmbH has solid experience in Korea certification and competent local partners. We gladly advise you without obligation about the scope and procedure of a Korea certification.

If you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs or KCs for explosion safety products, feel free to contact us any time.

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SK Gas builds hydrogen production plant in Ulsan, investment amounts to several billion US dollars

South Korea’s third-largest conglomerate, SK Group, has named its subsidiary SK Gas Co. as the lead company for expanding its hydrogen business. In addition to building plants to produce green hydrogen, it will also develop fuel cells and batteries. According to multiple industry sources, SK Gas is investing several billion U.S. dollars to build a hydrogen production plant and related infrastructure along the southern coast of the Korean city of Ulsan by 2025. The company plans to build facilities and equipment for the entire hydrogen industry value chain. The project generates increased import demand for numerous, industry-relevant products that require KC certification for the Korean market. The plans include importing raw materials, production, storage and distribution. The mammoth project will cost SK Gas several billion U.S. dollars and moves its current main business in natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas significantly in the direction of hydrogen.

 

 

South Korea is pinning its hopes largely on hydrogen and its importance to industry, the economy and society as an environmentally friendly energy source and the country’s primary energy, as opposed to nuclear energy and fossil fuels. The government-initiated push for energy transition reached almost all well-known companies in this field such as SK, Hanwha and GS. Industry experts expect SK Gas to build up its hydrogen business from by-products of the chemical industry, at least in the beginning, in order to save costs in investment and production. Only later will the hydrogen also be produced with the help of renewable energy and have a good environmental balance.

SK Advanced, also based in Ulsan, is capable of producing around 30,000 tons of hydrogen annually as a byproduct. SK Gas, South Korea’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas, is also planning a plant to separate hydrogen from natural gas. By reusing and storing the resulting CO₂, the hydrogen can at least be called “blue hydrogen.” The hydrogen produced by SK Gas will be transported via pipelines up to 100 kilometers long to gas generators and fuel cells in other facilities in the Ulsan area.

To distribute the hydrogen, SK Gas is building a hydrogen liquefaction plant that will draw its cooling energy from the natural gas terminal. Through a joint venture with Lotte Chemical, the hydrogen will be sold at gas pumps. To this end, SK Gas plans to build around 100 hydrogen filling stations in South Korea by 2030. It has also entered into a joint venture with Lotte Chemicals to build a fuel cell power plant. A demonstration plant for a hybrid gas turbine powered by hydrogen is to be developed with Korea East-West Power and Doosan Heavy Industries. SK Gas has also established a venture capital company in Silicon Valley to invest in promising start-ups.

If you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs or KCs for explosion safety products, feel free to contact us any time.

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Hyundai and Kia report 42 percent increase in sales of their eco-friendly car models

Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. report a 42 percent year-on-year increase in sales of environmentally friendly new cars in their home country of South Korea. Environmentally friendly or green vehicles include electric-drive cars, hybrid vehicles and hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles. The two companies sold a total of 75,336 green vehicles in the period from January to May 2021. Of these, 54,560 were hybrid vehicles, 17,111 were e-cars and 3,665 were hydrogen vehicles. The year-on-year sales figures improved by 35.6; 62.2 and 59.7 percent, respectively. As a result, the market for hybrid vehicles is growing, which also means positive prospects for the Korean automotive industry. Growing production figures also mean increased imports and demand for various automotive parts and components, many of which are subject to mandatory KC certification.

 

 

Automotive industry observers made a connection between the increase in eco-car sales and the availability of chips and semiconductors. A senior executive said hybrid and e-cars require more semiconductors than conventional internal combustion vehicles. As a result, a shortage of semiconductors and electronic components recently led to frequent production stoppages and declines in hybrid car sales at Hyundai Motor again. In May, these surprisingly fell 24.8 percent year-on-year to 4,095 vehicles. As soon as the situation on the chip and semiconductor market improves again, experts expect a further rapid increase in car sales figures.

Is your company active in the automotive industry and has business relations with South Korea or plans to do so? Many products that are imported into South Korea have to be tested and certified in advance. MPR International GmbH recommends itself as a partner for your Korea certification. We gladly check for you without obligation whether your products are subject to certification and prepare an attractive offer for you.

If you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs or KCs for explosion safety products, feel free to contact us any time.

Tel.: +49-69-2713769259
Email: info@korea-certification.com

Urgent questions?
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