Challenges and Future of Hydrogen and Battery Technology

Hydrogen infrastructure needs time; battery industry faces challenges in transitioning to cylindrical and prismatic shapes.

### Hydrogen: The Future of Energy and Transportation
* 💸  Despite high expectations, the cost of green hydrogen remains a major obstacle, with the production cost being **four times higher than that of natural gas**.
* 🔋  Due to the stable molecular structure of water, it requires a **significant amount of energy** to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Additionally, the electrolyzer equipment is prone to damage due to the **intense reaction**.
* 🏭  One potential solution is to split methane into hydrogen and carbon, as methane is easier to break down. This method allows the **carbon to be utilized in the production of high-value materials**.
* 🌍  Hydrogen faces challenges in transportation, as it requires **high-pressure storage** and is **difficult to transport in its gaseous state**.
* ☀️  To overcome this challenge, hydrogen can be converted into ammonia, which has a **lower boiling point and is easier to handle**. Ammonia is already **widely used and has an established infrastructure**.
* 🚚  Some argue that batteries can replace hydrogen in transportation, but batteries have limitations such as **weight, safety concerns, and decreasing energy density as they scale up**.
* 🌱  Methane, a potential source of hydrogen, has a high global warming potential and is a major contributor to climate change. The environmental impact of methane extraction is a **growing concern**.
* 📈  Despite the challenges, the recent drop in interest rates is expected to make hydrogen infrastructure investment **more affordable** and **accelerate its adoption**.

### Overview of the Future Energy Industry and Related Sectors
* ⚡️ " As artificial intelligence (AI) is introduced and people's expectations become more consistent and transparent, the need for regulation is expected to **gradually decrease**.
* 🏗️ " To increase social value, it is important to **quickly introduce AI**, **reduce regulations**, and **move towards a highly intelligent society**.
* 🪙 " Investing in hydrogen, batteries, and other related sectors is crucial, as they are expected to play a **key role in the future energy industry**.
* 🚗 " The fast charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) is a **critical factor** affecting the **widespread adoption of EVs**.
* 🔋 " Technological advancements in batteries, such as **high-speed charging** and **solid-state batteries**, are expected to drive the future of the EV market.
* 🛢️ " Hydrogen is considered a **promising energy source**, but challenges such as **infrastructure development** and **cost reduction** need to be addressed.
* 🔒 " Establishing a competitive battery industry is important, as it is a **key component of the future energy ecosystem**.
* 🎓 " Given the dynamic entrepreneurial environment in the market, students studying entrepreneurship need to acquire **domain knowledge and practical skills** to succeed in the field.

All the knowledge in the world understanding for a while this is going to change the world, but yes, these days, some themes are catching on. One of the representative ones is the rising metaverse. Uh-huh. I don't really know where that is exactly yet, it still seems a bit unclear, but it seems to be catching on. Yes, another one is the hot debate about our energy. Lately, it seems like nuclear power plants have been slightly pushed back. Oh, and hydrogen. Hydrogen, hydrogen, everyone said hydrogen would be the future of energy, but maybe because the price hasn't dropped much yet, it seems a bit... well, related stocks, when you look at the stock prices, uh, what should we do? There are things like that. So, let's take another look at how we should view hydrogen. Hydrogen, again, like this. Because, actually, nowadays, people are thinking about how to invest.

You might have some doubts about buying NVIDIA. The future is uncertain, so let's consider not only the cheap price but also where it stands now, what possibilities and conflicts it has, and what limitations exist. Today, we have invited Professor Kim Hak-joo from Hanyang University to discuss how we should view hydrogen, including negative views that have become prevalent recently. There are many doubts and suspicions, so let's talk about the truth regarding that. As you mentioned, it's almost in a state of collapse now, but if it can withstand without failing, it rose once, which means people were interested in it.

Isn't it that there was momentum? But it's not the time yet, so I'm holding onto it. Oh, these companies can withstand until the momentum comes back. Then, they can increase profits significantly in the long term, right? I like this kind of stock, waiting for that moment. So, I sold some of the stocks that are pressed down a bit, and I'm waiting for that time. But if you buy number one stocks now, they have global competitiveness, so they might be able to withstand this level. So when you allocate your assets, they focus on this kind of concentrated portfolio. If you have money, you should protect your principal and inflation, so don't you buy bonds or deposits first? Yes, do you know what's better about bonds than deposits?

Better than deposits, bonds have higher interest rates, right? Yes, that's correct. Bonds have liquidity in the middle, so you can sell them. Bonds, right? Yes, but deposits don't have good liquidity, right? Oh, but deposits don't increase more than the principal, unlike bonds. Bonds can increase in price according to changes in market interest rates. That's the kind of explanation you need to give. I had to pay a lot of comprehensive income tax this time. So, I forgot that when I was originally redeveloping, I was assigned a small apartment, so they returned some money to me. Isn't that considered as dividends? Yes, but interest rates were high last year, so that's why I ended up paying a lot of comprehensive income tax now. If you invested in bonds, then there must be a capital gain, right?

Is that tax-exempt? Yes, so I think that part is better, so I suggested it. And then, if you want long-term stable growth, if you buy things like stock indexes like the S&P 500, you may have a little short-term gain. Maybe the equity of the companies in the S&P 500 will increase as much as their equity. But, the equity ratio of the S&P 500 is 15%, but if you look at it, it's 27 times. So, it's slightly overvalued by about 20%. Still, you can interpret that it can go up about 12% annually in the long run. Adding one more thing, if you mix in infrastructure funds, real estate funds, like housing real estate funds, it's different from bonds and stocks. So, in your portfolio, the volatility decreases a bit, and especially these real estate funds, once they make a profit, they all pay dividends.

Isn't it that retired people lack the leadership on cash a bit? It seems more suitable for those people. And if there is extra money, now it's about concentrating on the portfolio. So, if someone has studied a lot, knows better than anyone else, and holds onto that for a long time, it can rise a lot. So, one example is like I mentioned earlier, if you buy those that have surged a lot and are now pressed down, maybe you can enjoy it in the long term. But that's the biggest problem. So, even if it's pressed down, will it go further down and fail, go to the underground or the basement, or if it's pressed down to a certain level, maybe it's time to rise a bit. How do you know that? If it fell 96% from the peak, it could also fall 98%, right? Then it's almost cut in half, but eventually, that momentum could be limited again, and then back to 100.

Can't we go up further? Can't we go beyond that? So, I don't think that's very important. I mentioned to you before, there was a focus on hydrogen power, then on small nuclear reactors, and then there were also remote diagnostics from two to three Google subsidiaries. Today, I will talk about charging stations and key points. I am interested in these things. Yes, you should remember what Professor Jang mentioned. Yes, he briefly talked about the sectors, and I mentioned where I heard that. Why did the stock prices go up suddenly? So, we are waiting for that time. Yes, I understand. So, plug power, new scale power, these are related to small nuclear reactors. Yes, hydrogen will receive more attention in the future, even though it's not prominent now, it is assumed to emerge as an alternative gradually.

It's a valid concern, but I don't really understand it well. So, these days, people are doubting that humanity has started using the sun and wind as energy sources. Expectations were high. However, the issue with this new renewable electricity is that it is located in deserts or oceans, making it impossible to bring it in due to the lack of transmission lines. So, instead of just discarding it, why not split water and extract hydrogen, then use it as needed for electricity, right? But the problem is, it's still too expensive. As you mentioned earlier, normally, in Europe, they just import natural gas and burn it, right? Then, to obtain 1 megawatt, it costs about $40. However, with green hydrogen, it costs $160, so it's four times more expensive. And the price hasn't dropped yet.

The problem is that it doesn't fall off. Yes, that's why people are disappointed. But now there are two important issues. The first is the molecular structure of this water. When you look at it, it is very stable, so it doesn't fall off. If you try to force it apart, it takes a lot of energy. So, first of all, it requires a lot of energy, but more importantly, there is equipment in this electrolyzer. It splits, so it's not just the water that splits, but the equipment of the electrolyzer also splits. Why is that? Because the falling reaction is very intense. To increase the reactivity of the electrolyzer equipment, you need to increase the surface area and make it thinner. But if it breaks, the durability is not good. So, normally, we use a less reactive catalyst, such as platinum or iridium.

But that's expensive, and it breaks even if you use it. So, in the past, POSCO tried this business once, receiving technology from Bloom Energy in the U.S. and then selling it. Yes, but the reality was different. There were more questions than answers, and everything was falling apart. Yes, but the problem was not easily solved. What does it mean that everything is falling apart? Because the reaction was so intense that it was shaking and breaking due to the vibration. The equipment is supposed to stay intact, not break. The equipment itself should be maintained properly. Yes, if the equipment breaks, the durability decreases. So, in the case of alkaline batteries, it should last for at least three years. But it doesn't work. So, what is the solution? Why not break the water that doesn't break easily? Shouldn't we try something easier to break down?

Natural gas like methane is easy to break down. For example, even now, methane gas is being broken down. So, when a catalyst is injected into natural gas at a high temperature, CH4 is separated, and H2 comes out. The remaining carbon combines with oxygen to produce CO2, which is not good. So, instead of that, let's just break down CH4 with a catalyst. Then, we can use hydrogen as energy and utilize carbon to make carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, or advanced materials like graphene. The key here is to choose the right catalyst for efficient breakdown and how to structure carbon well to create high-value products. This is the challenge. The company I am currently founding is in this field. Therefore, competition in this area will be fierce in the future, and ultimately, this will be the future economy.

I am thinking. Another issue is that hydrogen is difficult to transport. So, it can't be transported in a gaseous state. It needs to be compressed. For natural gas, the boiling point is -162 degrees. But for hydrogen, it's -253 degrees, which means it needs to be compressed very strongly. High pressure is required. Therefore, more energy is needed. So, when it's released, it will reach -253 degrees at first. You can't keep pressing it continuously. If you keep pressing, it will heat up. Then it will vaporize. But you can't capture the gas because even a small amount, like one mole, about 2g, when it becomes a gas, it will be 22.4L. So, it will be like the volume of around 10 large kettles. So, you can't capture it. Then, how can we store hydrogen?

When hydrogen is loaded and arrives at the destination, it almost flies away, or something like that happens. So, what should we do then? Let's go to -300 degrees and just press it down. Then, when it arrives again, at -23 degrees, isn't it enough to just stay below that? You can say this, but pressing it down below -23 degrees is a whole different problem. It requires a lot of energy, and then, there is a facility called an eco-facility, which needs to be very large. So, commercially, it doesn't make sense. That's why the Eco-S Pro Project, the Eco-Pro Transport Project, from Soju Victoria to Japan, I know one thing, but maybe the efficiency of that is quite doubtful, right? I'm thinking like that. So, the solution here is not to do that, but just mix hydrogen with nitrogen. Then it becomes ammonia, right? Ammonia.

Yes, the boiling point is -33 degrees, so you can press a little. It's very convenient, especially since ammonia is already being used. So, if you can catch the smell of comparison well, that's all you need to do. That's why it's being used in fertilizer, pharmaceutical companies, and places like that, where the infrastructure is well developed. But now, you can either use the ammonia directly or convert it to hydrogen by jumping to the oxygen in ammonia. Recently, three Koreans who are MIT doctoral graduates have started a startup. It seems promising to me, but I still need to verify. These friends have received a lot of funding lately and have applied it to ships. So, they have developed a device that converts ammonia into hydrogen.

Isn't there a hole in the ammonia tank for the fuel tank, and if you attach a converter there, hydrogen comes out, right? Separating hydrogen from ammonia is much simpler than separating it from water, isn't it? Yes, that's right. It's much more efficient. Just detach and blow it away, right? Yes. So, it's very fresh. Now, this kind of economy is coming. By doing this, we have received a lot of funding. So, in order to use ammonia, of course, we need high pressure and high altitude, but we still need to create more infrastructure for ammonia storage to use hydrogen in earnest. But so far, it has been expensive, right? Yes, so in fact, in a way, hydrogen economy has been one of the biggest victims of this high cost.

With interest rates dropping a bit, it seems like we will be able to expand infrastructure a lot more comfortably. When the initial funds go in, won't things get a bit easier? Yes, yes, that aspect is significant. And then, some people in certain circles argue that batteries can replace oil. Currently, batteries are used up to electric cars, but can't we use batteries for trucks and beyond? That's the argument. Well, now Tesla, Daimler, Volvo, and others have already released battery trucks. So, people usually say that once a car is released, it lasts for about 10 to 15 years. Therefore, it's unlikely that fuel cell trucks will be introduced in the near future. This is the expectation. But, you know, Nikola and Tesla, people know them, right? They are geniuses, aren't they? So, people have high expectations for them.

Edison hired him, but Edison dealt with direct current, didn't he? This person said that alternating current is better. In fact, what this person said is correct. So, isn't it easier to transform alternating current? Yes, that's why it is a much more advantageous solution for power transmission. However, since Edison had to do business with direct current, he fired him. Yes, so he hired this person at Westinghouse. Still, things didn't go well. This person was a bit autistic. So, he lived somewhat like a homeless person in his old age and faced a rather tragic end. But after this person died, it became clear that he was right. So, this person was a genius. This kind of story, following Nikola, led to the development of Tesla.

Elon Musk founded Tesla, an electric car company, following Nikola, who created a fuel cell company. However, Tesla succeeded while Nikola is still in a state of failure. This is because hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have many components and complex structures. Yes, batteries were already being produced for home appliances, making it easier for Tesla to launch initially. But you should know that batteries have their limitations. For instance, they are heavy, making mobility difficult. For example, a 30-ton lithium battery truck - the battery alone weighs tons, reducing the cargo capacity. On the other hand, hydrogen is light, isn't it?

In relation to weight, it can generate a very explosive force. So, isn't it true that so far, all the energy humanity has used is this kind, right? For example, if you just leave the battery alone, it will discharge. So, it means that it cannot continuously hold the energy. But the more critical issue is that the size of this battery is not getting smaller, right? As it gets bigger, more problems arise. It becomes more dangerous, right? Yes, that's correct. So, as the battery gets larger, won't there be more connections between cells? Won't there be more resistance, increasing the probability of accidents? Then, heat will be generated, won't it? Heat will continue to accumulate, leading to explosions. So, even a small incident that ends with some heat will generate tremendous heat, right? Yes. And now, the most important thing in this battery is the evenness between each cell.

We need a short circuit to occur. If it concentrates on one side, an overvoltage occurs, leading to death. Yes. But as the battery gets bigger, it's very difficult to balance it. People think that they can generate more power if the battery gets bigger, but as the battery gets bigger, the power doesn't increase accordingly. They say that the energy density decreases. Yes, yes. So, the larger it gets, the less effective it becomes. Ah, so, the battery truck is lovely for now. In other words, it can be released to fit the new environmental team, but this Tesla battery truck made by Dyne Volvo might be quite disappointing. Regarding durability and performance, people will realize that this is not an alternative. That's how they will see it. Then, let's use hydrogen. Yes, let's try using hydrogen as you said. Let's split methane, CH4, and try using hydrogen.

But when we mine methane, it doesn't stay in the air, right? There are two gases that contribute to global warming, carbon dioxide and methane. So, those are already violating environmental laws. Some critics are asking how we will solve these issues. Methane is related to ammonia and hydrogen. When methane is extracted, hydrogen is separated from it. So, methane (CH4) is used by splitting it into hydrogen using a catalyst to separate C and H. However, if methane is intentionally produced to extract hydrogen, the raw material needs to be mined, which causes environmental damage during the mining process. So, even though we currently use natural gas, we have to bring it from the highest point.

It wouldn't happen. At that time, methane flies away as a ball. Oh, just digging methane to make hydrogen is pointless. So, that's right. That's right. So, this actually, methane has the ability to absorb heat 85 times more than carbon dioxide. So, it has a tremendously destructive power. In fact, it's what animals like cows emit when they burp, right? Also, when you grow rice, a lot of it comes out near the roots of the rice. Yes, that's correct. And when it rots or decomposes in places like marshes, these plants will decompose a lot, right? But this just naturally gets purified. After nine years, it disappears. In the short term, there may be minor issues, but in the long run, it's not a big problem. Ah, methane just disappears on its own.

Oh, unlike carbon dioxide, yes, so if methane is burned [music] [music] in a power plant, when covering it with cement, even during the construction, if cracks occur on top and methane is released, right? In the 2010s, the U.S. experienced the shale gas revolution, where mining technology also greatly advanced. So, when applying cement on top, if cracks occur, methane might escape. However, nowadays, there is a type of cement that self-heals when cracks appear, of course, it might be expensive, but in sensitive areas, using such cement can be recommended. Also, nowadays, just like continuously suctioning blood during surgery, drilling for natural gas produces crude oil.

If you keep pulling out the Gaeun, you do drilling while pulling it out, so the gas doesn't leak into the engine, right? Then, if it doesn't charge, the probability of the cell dropping will decrease, right? Various technologies like that are emerging, and when the gas leaks, it is now detected by sensors. Of course, sensor technology has advanced, but when the sensor can't detect it, it captures the pattern of the data. Oh, this seems like a cell. Then, in advance, AI catches it and prevents it in advance, so now, rather than people's concerns, these technologies are developing much more. This is how we can talk. Furthermore, on the other hand, hydrogen doesn't need to be split because there is a lot of natural gas stored underground, close to 5 trillion tons. Especially, it is said to be heavily buried in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. So why are they splitting this?

So, when we talk like this, it would be nice, but there are some limitations here. So, now, when we are trying to stop shale gas mining, we extract it with water, right? After extracting everything, we need to fill it with water or put in strange carbon to fill it up. So, we need to fill it up. Yes, so if not, the house will collapse, right? Yes. So, in places where mining is done, earthquakes sometimes happen, right? Yes. But in 2017, an earthquake occurred in Pohang. It happened because of that. So, it's a bit different story, but anyway, in Pohang, there is a fault line. Yes, it's split. But it was next to our school. It was a geothermal power plant. They drove stakes into the ground and injected water forcefully. So, that's why the fault line split. Nowadays,

You know, in Pohang, there were many people who criticized those who covered up and blamed them, right? But actually, as I mentioned earlier, in the 2010s, with the shale gas boom, mining technology has advanced significantly. For example, now they don't just go straight down, they also go sideways. So, now with horizontal drilling, productivity has greatly improved. Also, by detonating some gas or oil buried in various places once, through techniques like fracking, and even simulating it in advance through things like digital twins, they can find the optimal path and go in, greatly enhancing commercial viability from the past.

Just because it wasn't there before doesn't mean it's not there now. It's a bit difficult to talk like this. Anyway, so, the problem now is, if the discussion about the fault in the Pohang area doesn't come up, it seems like there has been no consideration at all about the possibility of an earthquake. But this has happened before. If they don't assess the fault this time and just proceed, and then an earthquake occurs or worse, a volcanic eruption, then from the government's perspective, not only the nuclear power plant could be destroyed, but also it could become a star right away. This is a talent that existed in the past. Yes, but it shouldn't happen again. In the past, the misalignment of the fault was the cause of geothermal power generation. However, since Pohang is an area with faults, if they mess with it this time, the same thing might happen again. It's not that magma is surging from within, but it's like water coming from outside.

If you put it in the wrong way, it can stimulate that and, oh, it seems to be like that. So, while drilling to extract shale gas, it kept splitting the shale layer, so the shale layer tore apart. When this happens, earthquakes can occur. Yeah, that's right. So, we need to consider those things, but there was no mention of that at all. But now, anyway, hydrogen. Professor mentioned that we should pay attention to hydrogen again. As he said, hydrogen is good in the long run. It's very environmentally friendly and good, but it has been too expensive so far because the cost-effectiveness has not been achieved. For example, transporting it with ammonia or finding ways to extract the gas, the cost has decreased a bit compared to before. So, isn't the environment becoming more favorable to look at hydrogen a bit more now? Yes, yes.

So, actually, people, why do we need so much electricity right now? We can just use energy petroleum a little longer, right? If we do it with batteries, why do we need to go for hydrogen or small nuclear reactors? There are people who criticize this way. But, since the 2010s, wasn't the U.S. economy not unilaterally good? The SNP 500 index was better than any other stock index, and it was doing well. However, even Americans are unhappy now. So, the happiness index is continuously decreasing. Why? The fundamental reason is wealth inequality. In fact, Americans who used to tolerate wealth inequality, even if I can't live as well as that person, my life has certainly improved compared to the past.

Some instinct of capitalism used to make us grow more, thinking like this, but nowadays it's too much, right? There's a big difference. For example, there are many drug addicts, and now many people are leaving the ranks of this profession. So, I actually think that eliminating opportunities is the root of inequality. So, in fact, in a way, people like me, the elders, those privileged people are rich, and the young people are poor, right? So, we need to pay a high price for the ideas of the young people, the privileged, to resolve this inequality. But if young people come up with ideas to start a business, they have to get permission. Why does the government do that? Because they need to protect honest citizens.

So, when there is damage, we delegate it and regulate. But regulation becomes necessary when everything is a bit uncertain, right? Now, with the introduction of artificial intelligence, people will have more consistent expectations and interpretations, becoming more transparent. Therefore, the need for regulation will gradually decrease as AI takes on such tasks. Yes, that's why introducing AI quickly, reducing regulation, and moving towards a very smart society can increase added value significantly. However, since AI requires electricity and cannot rely on batteries, I believe that ultimately, without advancing small modular reactors, it will be impossible to address these social dissatisfactions.

We have various energy sources that are needed quickly. One of them is nuclear power. So, back in the 1970s, we had to deal with it. And now, with the meeting of Reagan, eventually, we decided to relax our regulations. Why did we do that? Because humanity has now created personal computers, and then the internet began to spread. Now, people have tools to freely express themselves as they wish. Why regulate this? Just let it be. So, the beginning of globalization was that. Even now, with AI emerging, humanity can create much smarter solutions to save costs and generate more added value. However, there is no need to regulate this and hinder it. Through this, we can create more social value.

Any resolution of the dissatisfied government is possible, but it should be adopted quickly. To achieve this, first, we need to secure energy, such as environmental electricity, from the back world quickly. So, even if I invest, that's the first thing to do. Therefore, even if I start a business, now I am focusing on making electricity cheaper, and now, in relation to that, I am also focusing on creating materials. Oh, as the conditions for cheaper hydrogen prices increase, there is a question. However, nowadays, with the increasing demand for electricity due to AI, we are in a situation where we are considering alternatives. But now, relying solely on new renewable energy sources seems a bit insufficient, which seems to be understandable. So, what is being talked about a lot these days is going back to nuclear power. Even though nuclear power is a proven technology, it is a bit risky, but...

When you think about controlling it, there's an expectation of what will happen, but with hydrogen, there may still be too many barriers as you mentioned. What is better in comparison? If we are going to have nuclear power plants, wouldn't it be easier to just have them roughly? That's the thought. So, the most easily usable thing for humanity is batteries because there has been infrastructure for them. But now, what's next? For nuclear power plants, you can just build them, right? However, for hydrogen, you need infrastructure for storing and transporting it. It requires investment, right? So, it is true that it is the slowest. Yes, but now, in advanced countries, there have been some setbacks, but it will eventually come the latest. Therefore, for some people, especially short-term investors, they may not be able to wait for that. But it's very cheap now, so it is quite enough.

There is a time to wait. So, part of the portfolio is like this, you buy it and just wait. Oh, that's right, because we will eventually need solar and wind power. If humans cannot avoid using them, we need to store and transport them. However, using batteries has various side effects. So, ultimately, hydrogen, ammonia, or something like that will come. This kind of thinking leads to the need for infrastructure investment. That's why progress is not being made now. Yes, that's right. Then, which companies are worth investing in and waiting for in that area? Will there be companies that will take the lead when it is commercialized in the future? That requires individual verification. For example, like the spread of electric cars or something like that. I don't know how long it will take for the era of hydrogen to begin, but who will be there until then? But now, I

I mentioned that in places like Plug Power or SMMR Newscape Power, they are global number one. If they fail, everything fails. So, in the long run, it seems like this business won't die. One might survive. So, even if that fails, if something else succeeds, you need to diversify your investments. So, even if only one succeeds, you can make 100 times, 200 times, like that. Yes, that's what I'm saying. Also, hydrogen is worth considering. Hydrogen was too downcast. Alright, understood. Yes, you should look into it more. So, among the stocks that have dropped now, the key point I mentioned earlier is the charger. Charger, yes, the company that charges. In December 24, 2020, Network Tritium was at its peak, but now it's bankrupt.

Number one, right now, the stock prices are fluctuating like this. However, the fact is that electric cars have not been widely adopted yet. But these private companies providing infrastructure, isn't it likely that they are incurring losses? It seems like they thought they could endure it. But that was a misconception. So, why was that a misconception? It's because there was a shortage of electricity. They thought there would be plenty of renewable energy, right? In reality, there is a lot. But as I mentioned earlier, they cannot access it. Ah, there is a shortage of electricity. That's why they reduced the subsidies for electric cars, causing delays in their widespread adoption. Yes, the next bigger issue is that there was a lack of proper fast charging infrastructure. In the U.S., when you look at the chargers, there are Level 1 and Level 2, which are for AC charging, taking several hours. It's used for residential purposes overnight.

Don't you have something to charge with? That's what it is. But now, you need to be at level 3 for it to charge in 30 minutes. But now, in the U.S., there are 125,000 gas stations. However, for level 3 chargers, which can charge in 30 minutes, there are only about 10,000. And actually, even 30 minutes is not fast charging, right? 30 minutes is long. So, this is why fast charging hasn't been going well. This is the handicap of electric vehicle distribution. However, fast charging infrastructure is actually developing rapidly. So, should I give you an example with Tesla? If you have a battery, don't you have a battery management system? Yes. So, if you try to charge the battery with electricity quickly, wouldn't the resistance increase? Wouldn't it get really hot? Ah, now, Tesla does something called tabbing between battery cells. But that's

When electricity flows into the tab, won't the resistance decrease? I removed the tab, so the cells are directly connected, allowing electricity to be transmitted more efficiently, thus reducing the resistance. Yes. Also, I have significantly increased the surface area of the battery, so even if heat is generated, it dissipates well. I even installed a liquid cooling system around the cells to keep them cool at all times. This way, as I mentioned earlier, the most important thing in a battle is to ensure a balanced charging and discharging between the cells. If there is an imbalance, it can lead to overvoltage and cause damage, right? Yes. So, even if the sensors cannot detect it, artificial intelligence identifies the data pattern and spreads it out in advance. That's why we have such fast charging like this.

When you reduce resistance and forcefully inject electricity quickly, many technologies have advanced that batteries can absorb. Why aren't they coming out then? We should use existing batteries, right? So, even though Tesla has developed such technologies, they are not yet applied to all cars. We need to gradually use up the existing batteries, but the technology has already advanced a lot. In the future, the spread of electric cars may accelerate a bit more due to these advancements. We can think about it like this. Especially, now the battery electrolyte is liquid, but won't it change to a solid or gel state? Then, we can inject it much faster. High-speed charging will now become mainstream. The technology has matured a lot. This is how we see it. However, it hasn't come out yet due to commercial reasons. The time for that will come.

It's something worth waiting for, and now if you take a look at the valuation of those charge points, at places like gas stations, they not only sell gasoline but also operate convenience stores. They sell things like this at convenience stores, right? So, in each region, there are channels for such gas stations. One of the representative ones is KC General. The market capitalization here is about 15 trillion won. However, at this point, they don't have charging stations like gas stations. They only sell charging equipment and software for charging. But when the high-speed charging infrastructure is spread, they will start to have charging stations on their own. Then they can also do convenience store business. Moreover, they can sell consumables related to charging. And they can also provide electricity cheaply and sell it at a higher price.

Because you can buy various types of business, at least the market capitalization will increase. The current market capitalization of Charge Point is less than 1 trillion won, so if you see the potential once, Charge Point can withstand until the era of electric cars becomes mainstream, it can withstand until the high-speed charging infrastructure is distributed, and then the stock price will rise significantly. Let's wait believing in that. You can see it this way. Charging stations will also undergo changes at some point. Yes, among the stocks that are rising next to the stocks that have plummeted, there are also ones like this. Charging stations, electric cars these days, not just Tesla, but in fact, electric cars are similar to household products. So, competition seems to become extremely fierce in the future. So, now China is...

Nevertheless, even within the United States, it is likely that many more companies will start making electric cars. Currently, Tesla holds almost 80% of the market share for electric cars priced over $50,000. However, it is said that this could drop to 20%. Everyone is now saying that almost every car company will make electric cars. So, how will Tesla maintain its stock price? Tesla doesn't call itself an electric car company. They are now creating a story as a diverse AI company. They are saying that even if autonomous driving is introduced in the future, they will develop software that others cannot follow and differentiate themselves there. It's unsettling, but personally, I don't believe it. So, things like cars have the most fundamental principles, you know.

These things all remain open source, and what sets them apart is, well, are they like Elon Musk, a genius? Yeah, so I mean, I think I could do that too. In our society, whether we will have autonomous driving on highways and national roads or not will now be decided by rules. When deciding those rules, if Tesla says, You can go with this function, giving infrastructure on the road, will that be accepted? If it's near the Tesla headquarters, I'm not sure. So, as I mentioned earlier, in the beginning, isn't there a fundamental engine principle that drives these cars? Only one company used to monopolize that, but they can't sell it. Oh, that's right, they can't, so a company from another country can come in and dominate their country.

Will the government see what they are doing? So, ultimately, all countries are like that, so eventually, things like this should be open source. Yes, I think that will happen, especially with self-driving cars. If a car can drive on its own, having a driver is enough, but to drive autonomously, it needs to assist with various things on the road. Infrastructure needs to be set up as well. Yes, while doing things for Tesla, will they allow it? So, anyway, charging stations, charging... What is this? It's somewhat monopolistic. When it comes to charging stations, having those is a representative example. It could become a barrier in the future with competing companies. Just having many of them installed could be a competitive advantage due to network effects. So, the key point is... charging stations, devices, and handling data. So, now, people using electric cars... charging.

People have acquired a lot of habits or know-how from the beginning, so they entered the market first to accept the deficit and to obtain the data. So, they probably still have a lot of unique data. However, since the market has not come, it is just that it has not been activated yet. In the future, by utilizing these things, they will have a lot of unique know-how. If the hydrogen infrastructure is well established, yes, it will take time for the hydrogen infrastructure, of course. If that is well established, the battery industry and the hydrogen infrastructure will go together. Still, the smaller sizes will lean towards batteries, so even for passenger cars, batteries will work well. After that, trucks, trains, and then some industrial heat.

In terms of heating, hydrogen will dominate and coal will disappear. If you look at it that way, hydrogen... well, hydrogen has a lot of skepticism. It was very hot for a while, like it would switch to hydrogen right away, but then it decreased significantly. Maybe it's not hydrogen, maybe it's something else. Every issue has its own challenges, but as you mentioned, hydrogen requires infrastructure, so a country that decides to build that infrastructure needs to go all in. Yes, yes. If you just do it with nuclear power, it might work out roughly, but you need to establish a hydrogen infrastructure. Countries that need to do that might not do it. Is it possible? Or once some major countries switch to hydrogen, will everyone eventually have to switch to hydrogen? That's how it spreads. So, which country will be the first to go hydrogen?

It's okay. Yes, and now, each country should have their own standards, right? For example, what comes to my mind is propane gas cylinders. This is only common in our country and a few other countries, selling gas in cylinders. In some areas of our country, they don't use gas for cooking at all in their homes. And in those areas, people buy food and cook it at home. But now, we have gas delivery services and motorcycle delivery services available in different neighborhoods. Because it is necessary in our country. In countries where these services are not available, they might not even know what it is. So, as things develop like this, just...

Some countries that only a few do, because infrastructure is needed. So, later on, infrastructure is built, some know-how is accumulated, some knowledge is accumulated, it becomes more convenient, and then it becomes more effective. The more you feel it, the more these countries will use it. For example, industrial energy accounts for a significant portion. I know because there is POSCO in Pohang. So, energy obtained through coal and such accounts for a considerable part of the situation. However, in the world, countries that produce a lot of solar energy or wind power will have to export it. But in places like deserts, it won't be possible to charge it somewhere, except with hydrogen. Well, even if it's used in some industrial sectors.

Yes, I see. So, now it seems like the fuel in that case will eventually transition into hydrogen, and where do we get hydrogen from? Currently, the closest source is from methane, right? However, as I mentioned earlier, there are also stores of natural hydrogen, which we will use. We will have various sources to utilize. I haven't mentioned everything, but as I said before, it's difficult to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using excess electricity, right? But it's not necessary to split it only with electricity. In my business, one area is to generate heat to facilitate the splitting process. However, this is still in the early stages, so I haven't explained it yet, but various methods are continuously emerging to obtain hydrogen through different means. Yes, and just like when electric cars started to switch, it seems like everything will eventually become hydrogen-powered.

Crossing the threshold seems important, right? But actually, that's the infrastructure. However, it's not easy for humans to change habits. So, this, well, needs to be installed up to the infrastructure, so I think it will be the last thing to change. But at some point, there will be a tipping point that triggers the era to come. I think there will be an event that will lead to the preparation of electricity. Where will it come from? What are we looking at? There are various things, for example, groundbreaking technologies. So, I started a startup, and it was a technology that really efficiently decomposed carbon and obtained hydrogen. If this happens, suddenly the price could drop significantly.

Yes, yes, that's right. Yes, yes, I understand. Hydrogen, I understand. Another thing is, in our country, we have battery companies. Yes, in our country, battery companies. Actually, so far, our country's battery companies have been under threat. The biggest threat is, well, China's overcapacity threat. Will they just let us do nickel-cobalt? They will definitely do it. Right now, they are not doing it because of patents, but patents expire, right? They will come in then. And Europe, they haven't been doing it due to environmental issues, but now they can't ignore it and have started doing it. So, in Sweden, places like Northvolt have started, and the U.S. keeps saying to come into their country. And, well, batteries will now separate design and production. So, we mainly need to focus on production. Like semiconductor foundries, we need to remain competitive as a production base.

Will there be a change? Even if the structure of the battery changes, will we still be competitive? These days, in fact, there are many battery production companies in Pohang, right? They seem to use Chinese facilities. Yes, so I thought that China might be better than us at foundry work. In addition, now the United States is inviting our companies to enter, right? What does this mean? So, if we enter, don't we need to form joint ventures? Yes, they offer subsidies, but even if we receive them, there is hardly anything left. The cost of living is quite high. Recently, there have been rumors that batteries from Korean-American battery factories are going out and coming back in. They are being stacked again. Defective ones are coming back in a loop. So, initially...

It will be quite substantial in volume. In the beginning, it might be a bit challenging, right? Yes, that's why now, the same content as Korea, even if you write a manual, it will be lengthy. Yes. But now, we have to go to the people. In the end, we have to hire people. But now, for companies that are just starting, they may be a bit lacking. There may not even be enough people. Yes, if that happens, there might be some impact on this. Especially, what will happen if the U.S. reduces subsidies in the future? Then, the joint venture, right? It won't be easy. We have to leave that house. So, the battery technology and production facilities will remain in the U.S. Isn't that what the U.S. government wants? It's like, in a way, back in the early 2000s, China kept copying and lowering the cost of Benz cars, right? So, they kept demanding technology to be shared, stealing it.

So, with that, using that stolen technology, they create a different brand, sell it themselves, and ultimately, isn't it that they took out our technology? It's theft. The U.S. has a similar mentality. This is how they come to think. Especially in Korea, the threat of battery companies is that we like pouch-type batteries. We have invested in pouch-type batteries for the future. But the trend of batteries is cylindrical and prismatic. So why have pouch-type batteries been preferred all this time? Because we have made a lot of batteries for home appliances, and they are all pouch-type. And if heat is generated in the battery, in cylindrical or prismatic batteries, it accumulates in that can and can explode or be stacked with vinyl. So, it just easily escapes like this. That's why we liked it, but now, the battery management.

As systems have advanced, they can now manage heat well. Then, the advantages of cylinders and polygons are prominently revealed. The advantage of a cylinder is its durability because it can be stacked in the first place. Also, it is good for recycling later on. Lastly, it is easy to automate towards the end. It's difficult to automate pouches, as they require manual handling, making labor costs expensive. Especially as the transition from liquid to solid materials progresses, processing in cylinders will be essential, as pouches are quite challenging. However, we have already invested in pouches, and our future investment plans are aligned accordingly. Our equipment is all tailored to pouches. Therefore, considering the recent fragmentation in the Korean battery market, some may think it's time to start investing.

There are still threatening factors, and that's what we're talking about. Next, if that changes, it won't be easy for us to respond. So, after our competitive advantage disappears, there are other aspects as well. Yes, we are focusing on pouches. Samsung Lee Kun-hee is also doing that. The packaging may have an impact. But as the cell goes towards a prism or cylindrical shape, pouches are very difficult to process. Originally, because they were high-end, we sold a lot of them, saying they were expensive batteries. But now, like Tesla, using a cylindrical shape, the facilities are all different, so there is a long way to go. Oh, we might need to worry about that. So, then, solid batteries...

Do you worry from the beginning, or even now, yes, right now, there, BMS, so the Battery Management System is evolving, um, just cylinders, just let's go, what Tesla has already started to make, yes, well, then that is also a significant change, yes, hydrogen, hydrogen also needs to be captured well, then, um, I understand the answer, I understand, we also have those concerns, and hearing stories that we haven't thought of all at once, it's good, it seems to be getting complicated, oh, you can see how simply we've been living, yes, Hanyang University is now about to start the vacation, when will you start the vacation, yes, now, probably in the third week, it seems like we'll have a vacation, oh, next week, yes, yes, after taking only the final exams, after taking the end-of-semester exams, yes, for students studying entrepreneurship, that's right, yes, yes, those students typically

Now, students are trying various things at school, such as assignments and even starting their own businesses. Their goal is entrepreneurship. This is because the entrepreneurial atmosphere in the market is sometimes like this and sometimes like that, so students also feel the waves. In this case, they need to learn entrepreneurial skills and to do that, they need to know a lot about the domain. So, they should learn about those things as well. In reality, when they graduate, they should also try entrepreneurial projects. Understood. Professor Moon Ji-won from Handong University is well-liked because he is not bound by domestic perspectives. This is something I occasionally hear. Is it a spoonful of sugar there? Thank you for your words, Professor Kim Hak-joo from Andong University. Thank you.

꺼진 불 아닙니다 수소의 시대는 올 겁니다 (한동대학교 ICT창업학부 김학주 교수)

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The Current State of the Metaverse, Hydrogen Energy, and Stock Investments

The metaverse is gaining popularity, while there are uncertainties about hydrogen energy and stock investments.

Hydrogen is struggling to become a cost-effective energy source and is facing doubts about its future.

When it comes to stock investments, there is a discussion about waiting for the right moment and the potential of certain stocks, as well as the benefits of bonds and real estate funds in a portfolio.

Challenges in Water Splitting and Hydrogen Transportation

Water splitting faces challenges due to the intense reaction that requires a lot of energy and causes equipment to break, leading to the use of expensive and less reactive catalysts.

The use of methane as an alternative for water splitting is being explored, with a focus on choosing the right catalyst for efficient breakdown.

Hydrogen transportation is difficult due to the need for strong compression and the high pressure required, leading to the exploration of using ammonia as a more convenient alternative for hydrogen storage and transportation.

Startups are emerging to convert ammonia into hydrogen, offering a promising solution for the infrastructure and cost challenges in hydrogen usage.

The debate over whether batteries can replace oil in vehicles, especially trucks, is ongoing, with some expecting the dominance of battery trucks over fuel cell trucks in the near future, while others have high expectations for companies like Nikola and Tesla in this field.

The Impact of Tesla and the Future of Energy

Nikola Tesla advocated for alternating current, which is now widely recognized as the superior option for power transmission.

Tesla's success with electric cars is contrasted with the struggles of the fuel cell company, attributed to the complex structure of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The limitations of lithium batteries, such as weight and size, have led to a growing interest in hydrogen as a more efficient and powerful alternative for energy storage.

The Impact of Shale Gas Mining and the Shift to Hydrogen and AI

Shale gas mining has advanced significantly with horizontal drilling and fracking, increasing its commercial viability, but without proper consideration of the potential for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The cost-effectiveness of hydrogen has improved, making it a more favorable option for energy, especially with the growing need to address electricity demand.

The decreasing happiness index in the US is attributed to wealth inequality, leading to a greater need for young people's ideas and business opportunities, which could be facilitated by reducing regulations through the introduction of artificial intelligence and small modular reactors.

The Impact of Technology on Energy Source Development

Relaxing regulations on nuclear power was influenced by the rise of personal computers and the internet, allowing for freer expression.

The increasing demand for electricity due to AI is leading to a reconsideration of nuclear power as a reliable energy source.

The slow development of infrastructure for alternative energy sources like hydrogen is causing setbacks, while the lack of fast charging infrastructure is hindering the widespread adoption of electric cars.

Advancements in Electric Car Technology and Charging Infrastructure

Electric car technology is rapidly advancing, with a focus on fast charging and battery efficiency through AI-driven data patterns and liquid cooling systems.

Despite the technological progress, the widespread implementation of these advancements is limited by commercial reasons.

As the market for electric cars becomes more competitive, the potential for growth in charging infrastructure, including stations and related software, is significant, leading to an increase in market capitalization for relevant companies.

The expansion of electric car production by various companies is expected to challenge Tesla's market share, leading the company to differentiate itself as an AI company, while the open-sourcing of fundamental car principles, including charging infrastructure, is anticipated in the future.

Hydrogen infrastructure development is crucial for its integration into the energy market, with a potential impact on the dominance of coal and the transition to hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The skepticism around hydrogen as a power source is still present, but various methods for hydrogen production are continuously emerging.

The competition between hydrogen and batteries for different applications, along with the evolving strategies of battery companies, adds complexity to the future energy landscape.

Challenges and Transitions in the Battery Industry

The shift in battery production technology from pouch-type to cylindrical and prismatic batteries is causing challenges for Korean companies.

The advantage of the new battery shapes lies in their durability, recycling potential, and ease of automation, while pouch-type batteries require manual handling and are costly to process.

The transition is prompting concerns about future competitiveness and the need for significant changes in production facilities and investment strategies.