Minister Han Hwa-jin Visits SK Incheon Liquefied Hydrogen Plant: "Let's Open a Tangible Hydrogen Era"

Discussion on Building a Liquefied Hydrogen-Based Hydrogen Mobility Ecosystem

SK E&S and the Ministry of Environment reviewed plans for public-private cooperation to expand the distribution of hydrogen mobility based on liquefied hydrogen ahead of the commercial operation of the world's largest liquefied hydrogen plant scheduled for the end of this year.

On the 2nd, SK E&S announced that Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment, visited the construction site of the Incheon liquefied hydrogen plant. This visit was made to discuss ways to revitalize the hydrogen mobility ecosystem between the Ministry of Environment, which is in charge of promoting eco-friendly vehicles, and SK E&S, which is advancing the liquefied hydrogen business.

Minister Han toured the Incheon liquefied hydrogen plant construction site in person and received explanations about SK E&S's liquefied hydrogen business and progress, including the liquefied hydrogen plant and charging station construction. She also attended a meeting with Chu Hyung-wook, President and CEO of SK E&S, to discuss cooperation plans under the theme of ‘Ways to Revitalize the Hydrogen Mobility Ecosystem.’

At the meeting, Minister Han and President Chu agreed on the importance of the smooth construction and operation of the liquefied hydrogen plant and charging stations, and decided to cooperate further to open a tangible hydrogen era through the expansion of liquefied hydrogen-based hydrogen mobility.

President Chu said, "SK E&S will take the lead in laying the foundation for the expansion of hydrogen mobility and the early activation of the hydrogen economy by fully launching the production and distribution of liquefied hydrogen from the end of this year," adding, "We will work together with the public and private sectors to create a successful case that contributes to the national task of carbon reduction through the expansion of the hydrogen mobility ecosystem."

Perspective view of Incheon Hydrogen Liquefaction Plant [Image source=SK E&S]

SK E&S is constructing the Incheon liquefied hydrogen plant, which can produce 90 tons per day and 30,000 tons per year, making it the world's largest scale. This facility purifies gaseous hydrogen to high purity and cools it to minus 253 degrees Celsius to supply it in liquid form. The current progress rate is about 99%. After a commissioning period, commercial operation is planned to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.

The liquefied hydrogen produced at the Incheon liquefied hydrogen plant will be supplied as fuel for hydrogen mobility through liquefied hydrogen charging stations. SK E&S is also promoting the construction of liquefied hydrogen charging stations in major regions nationwide in line with the start of liquefied hydrogen production.

Liquefied hydrogen has a volume about 1/800th that of gaseous hydrogen, enabling large-capacity transportation. It also has the advantage of fast charging speed, making it called a ‘game changer’ that will lead the expansion of hydrogen mobility distribution. It is evaluated as suitable fuel for large commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks that consume large amounts of hydrogen.

Unlike overseas countries such as the United States, Japan, and Europe, where liquefied hydrogen is already established, SK E&S’s full-scale supply and distribution of large-scale liquefied hydrogen at the end of this year in Korea, which was previously a liquefied hydrogen frontier, is expected to accelerate the spread of hydrogen mobility. The expansion of hydrogen mobility, which emits no greenhouse gases, is also expected to contribute to carbon reduction in the transportation sector.

Earlier, SK E&S and the Ministry of Environment signed a memorandum of understanding in May with major companies, local governments, and transportation companies to convert more than 2,000 hydrogen commuter buses by 2026. Subsequently, they signed MOUs with key stakeholders to convert airport buses and city buses in Seoul, public institution commuter buses in Wonju Innovation City, and school buses operated by the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education into hydrogen buses.

SK E&S will play the role of stably supplying liquefied hydrogen, which will be the fuel for hydrogen buses. The Ministry of Environment plans to provide administrative and financial support for the conversion of hydrogen buses and the construction of charging stations.

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