Starting Today, Punishment for Manufacturing 'Unauthorized' Hydrogen Facilities... Safety Inspections Also Mandatory

Implementation of Hydrogen Act Safety Management Field... Enforcement of Manufacturing Permit System, etc.

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials are inspecting a liquid hydrogen engine for drone and robot operation at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. The institute announced that it has developed a hydrogen fuel engine capable of powering a 30kg-class industrial drone by supplying hydrogen fuel to a small engine, igniting it, and maximizing engine output. Hydrogen fuel has an energy density per weight 2.8 times higher than gasoline, allowing for longer flight times compared to drones using gasoline engines. It is characterized by being an eco-friendly, carbon-free technology that does not emit carbon./Daejeon=Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] From today, manufacturing hydrogen facilities such as water electrolysis equipment without government approval can result in imprisonment for up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20 million KRW. Safety inspections for hydrogen products are also mandatory.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on the 5th, the safety management sector of the "Act on the Promotion of Hydrogen Economy and Hydrogen Safety Management (Hydrogen Act)" will be enforced from today. The government previously introduced the safety management sector when enacting the Hydrogen Act in February 2020. This was prompted by the need for safety management of hydrogen manufacturing facilities such as water electrolysis and hydrogen extractors following the hydrogen explosion accident at the Gangneung Science Park (TP) in 2019. The accident resulted in 2 deaths and approximately 34 billion KRW in property damage. While the promotion and facilitation sector of the Hydrogen Act was enforced in February last year, the safety management sector was granted a one-year grace period considering the preparation time for establishing safety standards and inspection infrastructure.

The applicable targets are hydrogen manufacturing facilities, fuel cells, and hydrogen product manufacturers. Fuel cells include mobile fuel cells installed in drones and forklifts, as well as fixed fuel cells with hydrogen consumption of 232.6 kilowatts (kW) or less. Fuel cells installed in hydrogen vehicles are managed under the Automobile Management Act and are excluded from the safety management sector of the Hydrogen Act.

With the enforcement of the Hydrogen Act's safety management sector, a manufacturing permit and registration system for hydrogen products will be implemented. Domestic hydrogen product manufacturers must obtain manufacturing permits from local government heads such as market or district office heads after technical review by the Korea Gas Safety Corporation. The manufacturing permit requires technical review not only of the hydrogen products but also of the manufacturing facilities. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy expects the technical review period by the Gas Safety Corporation to typically take around 15 days.

Foreign hydrogen product manufacturers must undergo technical review by the Gas Safety Corporation as well as on-site factory inspections. Afterward, they can register their manufacturing with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to sell hydrogen products domestically. Manufacturing hydrogen products without a permit can result in imprisonment for up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20 million KRW.

Safety standards for hydrogen products 'KGS Code' revised and established by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Gas Safety Corporation.
[Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy]

Safety inspections for hydrogen products have also been made mandatory. Hydrogen product manufacturers and importers must have their products inspected by the Gas Safety Corporation before selling or using them. The Gas Safety Corporation grants KGS code certification, which is the hydrogen product safety standard, to products that pass the inspection. Prior to the enforcement of the Hydrogen Act's safety management sector, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Gas Safety Corporation formed a task force (TF) of 76 experts from industry, academia, and research to establish and revise a total of six KGS codes. Manufacturing or importing hydrogen products without KGS codes can result in imprisonment for up to 1 year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW.

The Gas Safety Corporation has set up a temporary hydrogen product inspection center at its headquarters' testing and research building located in Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk, to conduct technical reviews and safety inspections. The dedicated inspection personnel consist of about 10 members. The Gas Safety Corporation will conduct hydrogen product inspections at the temporary inspection center until next year. The Hydrogen Product Inspection Support Center, currently being constructed in Wanju, Jeonbuk with a national budget of 19.5 billion KRW, plans to start inspections from the scheduled completion date next year.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Gas Safety Corporation have pre-coordinated inspection schedules and provided consulting with 35 hydrogen product companies. This is to ensure smooth execution of hydrogen product inspections following the law's enforcement. A ministry official stated, "The safety management sector of the Hydrogen Act mainly focuses on facilities that directly produce hydrogen," adding, "To avoid confusion, we also provided pre-consulting to companies that have not yet commercialized hydrogen products."

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