The number of hydrogen buses has steadily increased, with 77 registered in 2020, 131 in 2021, 283 in 2022, and a substantial jump to 650 in 2023. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jul. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – The South Korean Ministry of Environment announced on July 3 that the country is on the brink of a significant clean energy milestone, with 992 hydrogen-powered buses currently in operation nationwide. This puts the nation on the cusp of reaching 1,000 hydrogen buses on its roads, a goal set in motion just over five years ago.
According to the ministry, the journey began in June 2019 when the first hydrogen bus was registered in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. Since then, the number of hydrogen buses has steadily increased, with 77 registered in 2020, 131 in 2021, 283 in 2022, and a substantial jump to 650 in 2023.
Incheon leads the country with 213 hydrogen buses, reflecting the city’s enthusiastic adoption of this clean technology. North Jeolla Province follows with 141 buses, and South Gyeongsang Province ranks third with 109. In contrast, Jeju Island (7), Daegu (6), and Gangwon Province (5) have yet to see double-digit figures in their hydrogen bus fleets.
The ministry anticipates an acceleration in hydrogen bus deployment with the expansion of high-capacity hydrogen fueling stations and the introduction of liquefied hydrogen stations this year. Liquefied hydrogen, created by cooling hydrogen gas, occupies only 1/800th of the volume of its gaseous counterpart, allowing for significantly higher storage capacity and faster refueling times.
“The opening of our first liquefied hydrogen station in Incheon’s Seo District this April marks a crucial step forward,” a ministry spokesperson said. “We plan to increase the number of charging units to 40 by the end of this year.”
This push for hydrogen-powered public transportation aligns with the government’s broader clean energy goals. The administration aims to have 300,000 hydrogen vehicles on the road by 2030, including 20,000 buses.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
