The country’s first hydrogen fuel cell stack developed with local technology was completed, POSCO Power announced Thursday.

Affiliate of the steelmaker POSCO, POSCO Power is the country’s largest private power generating firm.

POSCO Power’s fuel cell stack has a generating capacity of 1.4 megawatts, which according to the company is sufficient to supply 1,600 households. 

The stack was produced at POSCO Power’s hydrogen fuel cell plant in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province that was completed in March.

The company said that the Pohang plant currently produces one 1.4 megawatt stack each month, but the production rate will be pushed up to two stacks per month from next year.

The stack forms the core of a fuel cell power generation system and generates electricity by reacting hydrogen with oxygen. A fuel cell power generation system also contains balance of power equipment that is responsible for supplying fuel to the stack and transforming the generated electricity, the company said.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)