Seoul City Opens 'Seosomun Office Hydrogen Charging Station'... First Installation Within the Four Great Gates Area

Installation of the First Urban Hydrogen Charging Station Inside the Four Great Gates at Seosomun Office CNG Station Site
Minimized Installation Space with Regulatory Exemption Approval from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy...Safety Secured with Additional Protective Barriers
Improved User Convenience Expected through Hydrogen Charging Station Operation within the Office

Hydrogen Charging Station inside Seosomun Building, Seoul City Hall Annex

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will establish a hydrogen charging station at the Seosomun Government Building annex in Seoul City Hall and begin pilot operations from the 7th. This is the first hydrogen charging station built within the Four Great Gates area, a central district of Seoul, aiming to improve user accessibility and enhance public awareness of safety.

The completion ceremony held on this day will be attended by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Minister of Environment Han Hwa-jin, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Kim Hyun-ki, Vice Chairman of the Environment and Water Resources Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Jeong Jun-ho, and industry officials.

The Seosomun Government Building hydrogen charging station, newly opened this time, is the tenth charging station in Seoul. The city plans to add five more hydrogen charging stations by the end of the year, including an expansion of the National Assembly hydrogen charging station, securing a total of 15 hydrogen charging stations within Seoul. The city has been leading the promotion of eco-friendly transportation, including hydrogen vehicles, to respond to climate change and reduce fine dust. By 2026, it plans to distribute 34,000 hydrogen vehicles and build 40 hydrogen charging stations.

The Seosomun Government Building hydrogen charging station is an urban-type hydrogen charging station constructed under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s regulatory special measures. Additional safety standards have relaxed regulations related to the distance from surrounding facilities, allowing safe use even in complex urban areas. According to the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act, when installing a hydrogen charging station, a distance (minimum 12m to 17m) from protective facilities such as residences and office buildings must be secured. However, the Seosomun Government Building station substitutes part of this distance with additional protective walls and safety devices, maintaining safety while minimizing installation space.

Seoul expects that the establishment of the Seosomun Government Building hydrogen charging station will contribute to setting technical standards for urban hydrogen charging stations in the future. Most hydrogen charging stations have been built on the outskirts of urban areas, limiting the ability to meet hydrogen charging demand within the city. With the opening of the Seosomun Government Building hydrogen charging station, accessibility issues will be partially resolved, and through stable operation, it is expected to become a representative model case of urban hydrogen charging stations.

Seoul plans to conduct pilot operations targeting Seoul citizens and start commercial operations in October. The number of charging units will begin at 25 per day and gradually increase to 40. Users can make reservations and use the station through the H2Care mobile app, and charging during the pilot operation period will be free of charge.

Yoo Yeon-sik, Head of the Seoul Climate and Environment Headquarters, said, “Hydrogen is an essential energy for carbon neutrality, a new growth engine of our era, and a core of the future economy. Through the operation of the Seosomun Government Building hydrogen charging station within the Four Great Gates, we will improve awareness of hydrogen charging station safety and strive for the transition to a hydrogen economy.”

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