DeCarbon and GN Innovation partner to integrate medical waste treatment with hydrogen energy production, advancing circular economy and ESG-driven growth.
Carbon-neutral hydrogen economy specialist DeCarbon announced on the 29th that it has entered into a business cooperation agreement with GN Innovation, a company focused on the development and commercialization of medical waste sterilization and crushing equipment. The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly promote projects related to the treatment and utilization of medical institution waste, marking a significant step toward integrating waste management with clean energy production.
DeCarbon is an environmentally focused energy technology company that has developed proprietary HR (Hydrogen Reactor) technology capable of producing high-purity hydrogen by gasifying waste plastics at extremely high temperatures. The company has consistently invested in research and development to enhance its core technologies, with the broader objective of supporting a circular economy and advancing carbon-neutral solutions. By converting waste materials into usable hydrogen energy, DeCarbon aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels while addressing the growing challenge of waste disposal.
GN Innovation, the partner in this agreement, specializes in innovative solutions for medical waste treatment. The company has successfully developed and commercialized a proprietary system that sterilizes and crushes medical waste, reducing it to a level that can be classified as general waste. This technology enables safer handling and disposal while minimizing environmental risks. DeCarbon is already participating in a demonstration project that applies GN Innovation’s sterilization and crushing technology for outsourced medical waste processing, providing a practical foundation for expanded collaboration.
Building on this agreement, DeCarbon plans to roll out phased projects targeting medical waste generated by hospitals and other healthcare facilities. These initiatives will encompass the full value chain, including sterilization and safe waste treatment, establishment of optimized transportation systems, and integration with hydrogen production and power generation facilities. Through this comprehensive approach, DeCarbon seeks to create a sustainable business model that not only ensures stable and compliant medical waste management but also generates added value through energy recovery.
The partnership outlines broad areas of cooperation between the two companies. These include the shared use of medical and environmental infrastructure, joint participation in medical waste-related projects, mutual exchange of infrastructure resources, establishment of sterilization facilities and logistics systems, and direct linkage between hydrogen production facilities and power generation plants. In addition, the companies plan to jointly develop a robust medical waste safety management framework, while also cooperating on promotion and marketing activities to expand market reach.
To establish a concrete joint business model, GN Innovation will classify samples of sterilized medical waste by type and install systems owned by both companies in a pilot test bed located within a research complex in Seo-gu, Incheon. The existing plant at this site will be upgraded to meet new technical specifications, with trial operations targeted for the first half of next year. In parallel, DeCarbon has completed its application to participate in the regulatory sandbox operated by the Ministry of Environment, a move that could enable more flexible testing and commercialization of its integrated waste-to-hydrogen solutions.
Through this strategic agreement, DeCarbon aims to transform its medical waste business beyond a conventional consignment-based model. By combining waste treatment with eco-friendly energy production, the company intends to build a scalable ESG-driven profit structure. Both DeCarbon and GN Innovation expect the partnership to deliver measurable ESG outcomes alongside commercial returns, strengthening their competitiveness, supporting future business expansion, and enhancing their appeal to potential investors.
