Public Hearing on Selection Criteria for Hydrogen Specialized Companies and Safety Regulation Laws Held

"Hydrogen Act Fully Enforced from February 5, 2021"

On the 1st, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun attended and spoke at the 1st Hydrogen Economy Committee meeting held at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 1 in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province. The government explained that establishing a solid hydrogen law system is essential for the success of the hydrogen economy. / Goyang = Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it held a public hearing on laws specifically regulating the promotion and safety of the hydrogen economy.

The ministry said that on the 21st at 2 p.m., it held a public hearing at the Seoul Regional Headquarters of the Korea Gas Safety Corporation to gather opinions before the legislative notice of the subordinate regulations of the Hydrogen Act.

The Hydrogen Act, which will take effect on February 5 next year, includes the hydrogen economy promotion system such as the Hydrogen Economy Committee, support policies such as fostering hydrogen-specialized companies and training personnel, and safety management of hydrogen products and usage facilities such as water electrolysis equipment.

However, the safety management provisions will be enforced from February 5, 2022, because it takes a long time to establish detailed safety standards such as material standards, structure and dimensions, performance standards, heat treatment standards, inspection items, and test methods.

Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

The Hydrogen Act consists of 62 articles. Among them, 59 items such as qualification requirements for hydrogen-specialized companies are delegated to presidential decrees, and 43 items such as inspection standards for hydrogen products are delegated to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy decrees.

This public hearing was held to collect opinions from the industry and related organizations on 102 items delegated by law.

According to the ministry, participants in the public hearing showed great interest in the selection criteria for hydrogen-specialized companies and the items subject to safety regulations.

To be recognized as a hydrogen-specialized company, according to Article 2, Clause 3 of the Hydrogen Act, the proportion of sales related to hydrogen business and investment amounts such as research and development (R&D) related to hydrogen business in total sales must meet the standards prescribed by presidential decree.

Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

Earlier, at the first Hydrogen Economy Committee held on the 1st, the research agency Chung-Ang University presented sales and R&D selection criteria. The sales criteria proposed five grades with a minimum threshold of 2 billion KRW, and the R&D criteria proposed four grades with a minimum threshold of 500 million KRW.

This is to achieve the goal of nurturing 1,000 hydrogen-specialized companies by 2040 and to expand R&D investment.

Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

Items subject to safety regulations include water electrolysis equipment, fixed and mobile fuel cells, and hydrogen extractors, considering their relationship with the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act and the Electric Utility Act.

Hydrogen products are managed through the Hydrogen Act.

Water electrolysis or hydrogen extraction facilities connected to fuel cells with 1 MPa or more (1 MPa or more is high pressure; less than that is low pressure) are subject to the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act, and fuel cell facilities for power generation are subject to the Electric Utility Act.

An official from the ministry said, "We will review and reflect the opinions discussed at the public hearing and briefing session as much as possible in the legislative notice scheduled for next month. We plan to rationally establish the subordinate regulations of the Hydrogen Act, the world's first of its kind, to complete the legal and institutional foundation so that the hydrogen economy based on safety can be continuously and systematically implemented."

The ministry announced that after the public hearing, the process will proceed as follows: legislative notice next month → regulatory review by September → review by the Ministry of Government Legislation by December → Cabinet meeting and presidential approval in January next year, and the Hydrogen Act will be fully enforced from February 5 next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.