Gas meters are installed at a multi-housing area in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — The government is stepping up to mix hydrogen into town gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand the supply of hydrogen.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy joined hands with the Korea Gas Corp., Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning and others to establish a task force on Tuesday to carry out the project.
South Korea currently uses 40 million tons of natural gas every year. Injecting 10 volume percent of hydrogen can reduce the use of natural gas by 1.29 million tons each year, cutting down on 3.55 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
The task force will begin the project this year, aiming for a 20 percent mixture of hydrogen into city gas by 2026.
First off, the task force will start a 28 billion won (US$23.4 million) worth of R&D project that will commence next year to verify the safety of town gas lines and their compatibility with hydrogen until 2025.
The infrastructure needed for the first phase will be set up at the KOGAS Pyeongtaek LNG Terminal, with construction starting in the second quarter of this year.
The second phase will involve testing hydrogen in the gas lines, based on the results of the first-phase study, starting in 2024.
The final phase will include amending the Urban Gas Business Act in 2026 to institutionalize hydrogen mix into city gas.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
