Feature Story Clean Energy & Ocean Solutions

How Hanwha's Energy Value Chain Delivers Clean "Power to the People"

April 9, 2021

How Hanwha’s
Energy Value Chain
Delivers Clean Power
to the People

Multiple Hanwha businesses are working together to bring clean energy to people for renewable energy generation.

Ensuring access to reliable energy sources is a task that begins long before a power plant even goes online. To do so, multiple Hanwha businesses have come together to form a comprehensive energy value chain that runs from obtaining raw materials all the way to flipping a switch at home. In between, Hanwha provides a diverse portfolio of products and services, from manufacturing essential energy equipment to operating power plants and offering project financing.

Here comes the sun: full-service solar solutions

To ensure renewable energy is available for all kinds of uses, multiple Hanwha businesses have united in an energy value chain. To ensure renewable energy is available for all kinds of uses, multiple Hanwha businesses have united in an energy value chain.

Multiple Hanwha businesses work in concert to make sure clean solar energy is readily available for home, commercial, and industrial use

Since it first entered the solar energy industry, Hanwha has been steadily expanding its capabilities to become a full-spectrum player in the market. Hanwha Solutions Q CELLS Division, a major global producer of residential and commercial solar energy solutions, produces solar modules that generate clean electricity. These modules are backed with ethyl vinyl acetate sheets manufactured by Hanwha Solutions Advanced Materials Division using resin from Hanwha Solutions Chemical Division.

Hanwha Energy develops and operates solar power plants and maintains a global energy retail business across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. It provides project financing and operational support for the construction and running of solar power plants, many under the banner of its 174 Power Global subsidiary. In addition, Hanwha Q CELLS maintains its own energy retail business in Japan and Europe.

H2 all the way: end-to-end green hydrogen value chain

Hanwha is building up its hydrogen infrastructure to prepare for the rise of the green hydrogen renewable energy economy Hanwha is building up its hydrogen infrastructure to prepare for the rise of the green hydrogen renewable energy economy

Hanwha is building up its hydrogen infrastructure to prepare for the global rise of the hydrogen economy

In recent years, the world’s attention has turned toward hydrogen as a viable clean energy source. With this happening, Hanwha aims to become a prime mover in the burgeoning hydrogen economy, particularly generating “green” hydrogen through low-carbon production processes. According to the World Economic Forum, around 95% of the world’s hydrogen is currently produced using fossil fuels in a process called steam methane reforming. However, for each kilogram of hydrogen it generates, this method also produces seven kilograms of carbon dioxide.

To address this issue, Hanwha Solutions Chemical Division is developing ways to mass produce green hydrogen through electrolysis, which doesn’t require fossil fuels. Instead, an electric current is run through a liquid electrolyte to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Electrolysis can be made even greener through the use of electric current generated from renewable sources.

Hanwha is also finding ways to recycle waste hydrogen generated by chemical production, which would normally be burned off as industrial waste. Instead of discarding this material, Hanwha Energy constructed one of the world’s largest hydrogen fuel cell power plants and uses the byproduct hydrogen to provide clean energy for further chemical processing.

Additionally, to ensure hydrogen can be used in green energy applications, Hanwha Solutions Advanced Materials Division’s manufactures world-class Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels to make sure it is stored and transported safely. Compared to competing hydrogen tanks, the division’s products are lighter and can hold up to two-to-four-times more hydrogen, which translates into cost savings for both storage and transportation.

Powering up for more: Hanwha envisions a future of clean energy


Power grids around the world are experiencing transformations and an increasing number are turning away from traditional fossil fuels to adopt more sustainable solutions like solar and hydrogen. Still others are exploring the potential for decentralized energy production.

To make sure that it can meet the changing needs of its customers in the midst of changing government policies and growing concern over climate change, Hanwha is charging up its capabilities to deliver the materials, equipment, and skills needed so that the lights will stay on through newer and cleaner means.