SEOUL, Oct. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s state-run gas company Korea Gas Corp. has announced plans to set up so-called convergence charging stations that can directly produce and supply hydrogen for vehicles.
KOGAS said Wednesday it had established a joint venture called HyStation to build and operate liquefied natural gas (LNG)-based hydrogen charging stations that can directly produce hydrogen on-site.
KOGAS is the largest shareholder with a stake of 29 percent, while other front-runners in the hydrogen sector, including Samsung C&T Corp.’s trading unit and Australia’s Woodside Energy Group, participated as minority shareholders.
HyStation plans to build six convergence charging stations that can charge up to 72 hydrogen fuel-cell buses per day, centered around city bus depots.
Since convergence hydrogen charging stations directly produce hydrogen on-site using bio-LNG, they can ensure a stable supply for hydrogen buses and trucks.
In addition, the stations can greatly reduce transportation costs, which account for a substantial part of the unit cost of hydrogen, as well as minimize the risk of any unexpected supply disruptions caused by logistics crises.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)