[비즈한국] Samsung C&T028260, which has made eco-friendly energy business its future growth engine, is expanding its business scope. Samsung C&T is currently developing its energy business through its Construction and Trading divisions. The Trading division focuses on project development—handling the stages prior to the start of construction for solar power projects—while the Construction division is expanding its portfolio by building infrastructure such as solar power plants, energy mixes, and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Recently, the Samsung C&T Construction division drew attention by filing for a trademark related to renewable
energy.
On January 9, Samsung C&T filed for six 'UniGen' trademarks with the Korean Intellectual Property Office. The product classifications include Class 9 (scientific, research, measuring, and educational devices, etc.), Class 35 (advertising, office management, business management), Class 37 (construction services, installation and repair services, etc.), Class 39 (transportation, packaging and storage services, etc.), Class 40 (material treatment, waste recycling, etc.), and Class 42 (scientific and technical services and related research, etc.).
What stands out is that "renewable energy" is included in every designated product and service registered under each classification. Class 9, a product classification, includes electric control devices for renewable energy management, ammonia measuring sensors, and energy management and optimization software.
The same applies to the remaining five service classifications. Class 35 includes retail services for renewable energy management control devices, energy price comparison services, and import/export agency services for the energy sector. Class 37 includes construction services for renewable energy power facilities and consulting for nuclear power plant construction. Class 39 includes energy and fuel storage services and greenhouse gas physical storage agency services. Class 40 includes production of renewable green energy, recycling services for carbon offset (reduction), and technical consulting for solar energy production. Class 42 includes technical consulting in the field of renewable energy production, scientific research in the field of renewable energy, and carbon emission reduction research as designated services.
It has been confirmed that the trademarks were registered by Samsung C&T's Construction division. A Samsung C&T official stated, "We filed for the trademarks preemptively for development projects involving renewable energy, ammonia, and carbon," adding, "The specific concept or utilization plan has not been decided yet." The Construction division has been expanding its portfolio with green hydrogen and ammonia as the pillars of its eco-friendly energy business.
Samsung C&T is actively pushing forward with eco-friendly energy as a new growth driver. Regarding the Construction division, CEO Oh Se-chul has designated energy solutions, off-site construction (OSC), and platforms as the three major new businesses since taking office in 2021. Since then, in the solar power business, the company has taken on large-scale projects in Mangilao, Guam, and Qatar, handling EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) and operations. In July 2023, the company strengthened its eco-friendly energy business by establishing the Energy Solution Division.
Following solar power, the company expanded into the energy mix (diversification of energy sources) sector, focusing on green hydrogen (hydrogen produced solely using renewable energy) and ammonia. Overseas, it has pursued production projects centered in the Middle East and Australia, while domestically, it has been working on building hub terminals for storage and supply.
In November 2023, it began building a facility in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, to produce and store green hydrogen through off-grid (a method of producing energy directly without receiving it from external sources) solar power, a first in Korea. This project aims to build infrastructure that produces, stores, and transports 0.6 tons (t) of green hydrogen every day using only renewable energy in connection with the Gimcheon solar power plant.
The Gimcheon green hydrogen production facility was initially planned to complete construction by December 2024 and begin production in January 2025, but it has been confirmed that it is still in the facility stage. A Samsung C&T official stated, "The solar power generation facility is complete, but it will take a little more time until hydrogen production begins," adding, "The green hydrogen produced here is not intended for sale."
In December 2023, the company participated in a global consortium and acquired the rights to the 'Salalah H2 Green Ammonia Project' in Oman. Recently, it has partnered with a Swedish SMR developer to target the European SMR market.
The Trading division is focusing on solar power project development, primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Leveraging the strengths of a comprehensive trading firm with robust networks, the company handles everything up to the pre-construction stage—including project planning, site selection, grid connection assessment, and obtaining permits—before selling the business rights prior to the start of construction.
In November 2024, it signed an MOU with LS Electric to establish a joint venture to jointly promote global renewable energy projects. In the secondary battery sector, it is proceeding with business by investing in or collaborating with relevant companies. In the hydrogen sector, it has entered the clean hydrogen business through agreements with domestic and international companies such as Doosan Enerbility034020, LG Chem051910, KSS Line, and Malaysia's state-owned Petronas.
In the securities industry, analysts are keeping a close watch on Samsung C&T's new business initiatives, as growth in the construction industry has stalled. Jang Yoon-seok, an analyst at Yuanta Securities, analyzed, "New businesses like hydrogen, solar, and SMR require large-scale investments but are difficult to generate short-term profits, making construction companies with capital at an advantage. Samsung C&T's strategy is to reinvest profits generated from existing businesses into eco-friendly and bio sectors while discovering new business opportunities to build a virtuous cycle business portfolio." He added, "While new businesses are still at the stage of MOUs and demonstrations, they are becoming visible in the Middle East, where eco-friendly business activities are active. From 2025, when actual project orders and construction take concrete shape, there is room for stock price growth depending on the performance of these new businesses."