Incheon National University Launches the “Carbon-Free Fuel Gas Turbine Innovation Research Center”

Incheon National University (President Injae Lee) held the Phase 1 kick-off meeting for the “Carbon-Free Fuel Gas Turbine Design, Manufacturing, and Safety Innovation Research Center” (Principal Investigator: Professor Mincheol Lee, Department of Safety Engineering; Co-Investigators: Professors Taeseong Jeon and Minho Bang, Department of Mechanical Engineering; Project Number: RS-2025-02603127) on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at the university’s Faculty Hall, officially announcing its launch as a key hub for the development of next-generation energy technologies to achieve national carbon neutrality.

The center will conduct core research to secure high-efficiency gas turbine technology based on carbon-free fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia, aiming for national strategic technology self-reliance through comprehensive R&D across the full technology lifecycle, including ▲ combustion technology, ▲ high-temperature component design and heat-resistant material technology, and ▲ operation and safety technology.

The kick-off meeting was attended by representatives from major domestic industries, public institutions, research institutes, and local governments, including Hanwha Power Systems, Doosan Enerbility, KEPCO Research Institute, Korea East-West Power, Korea Southern Power, Incheon Total Energy, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Hanbit Safety Technology Group, Sungil Turbine Co., CONUS Co., Korea Lost Wax Co., and the Hydrogen Energy Team of the Incheon Metropolitan City Energy Industry Division. During the meeting, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed with Incheon National University for mutual cooperation, and participants discussed future joint research and technology development collaboration.

In his welcome speech, President Injae Lee stated, “This center will go beyond being a mere research base and play a central role in securing core technologies and training professional talent that can make meaningful contributions to the national energy transition strategy,” and added, “The university will continue to reinforce its role as a research-oriented institution that contributes to industry and the nation by strengthening the ecosystem of cooperation among local governments, industry, academia, and research based on public interest and expertise.”

In particular, the center holds significant meaning not only in core technology development but also in talent cultivation. Through university-industry joint education programs, field-based combustion and safety testing platforms, and certification-linked curricula, the center plans to systematically foster high-level professionals who will lead the design, manufacturing, and safety technologies of carbon-free fuel-based gas turbines.

Representatives from each participating institution agreed that “this collaboration will go beyond short-term research outcomes and make meaningful contributions to mid- to long-term industrial ecosystem transformation and the establishment of technological sovereignty,” and pledged to continue pursuing detailed joint research projects such as design verification, component demonstration, and safety technology certification.

Incheon National University plans to systematize research and development in the field of carbon-free fuel gas turbines centered around this center and take the lead in building the technological foundation for Korea to advance toward a carbon-neutral society through close collaboration with local governments, industry, and research institutes.