Hydrogen Car Charging Crisis... Government to Deploy Regular Inspection Equipment Ahead of Schedule by End of This Month

Hyundai Steel Dangjin Steelworks Faces Hydrogen Supply Shortage Due to Partial Hydrogen Supply Line Failure
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Holds Inspection Meeting on Hydrogen Refueling Station Supply Situation
Priority Supply of Surplus Hydrogen from Other Facilities to Hydrogen-Deficient Refueling Stations

As a hydrogen vehicle refueling crisis erupted due to a malfunction in some of Hyundai Steel's hydrogen supply facilities, the government decided to advance the operation timing of facilities currently undergoing regular inspections to put them into service within this month. Additionally, it plans to request suppliers to provide surplus capacity from other hydrogen production facilities operating normally to refueling stations experiencing unstable supply.

On the 24th, a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy official told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "Two out of three hydrogen supply facilities at Hyundai Steel have issues requiring parts replacement, but importing the parts takes time. Therefore, we will first complete the inspections of other companies' facilities currently under regular inspection ahead of schedule and put them into operation within this month."

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to hold a meeting this afternoon to review the hydrogen supply situation at refueling stations in the central region. The meeting aims to assess the hydrogen supply status and explore countermeasures together with hydrogen producers, suppliers, refueling station operators, and local governments.

Along with the early deployment of facilities under regular inspection, the ministry will request cooperation from hydrogen suppliers to ensure that surplus capacity from other normally operating hydrogen production facilities is supplied to refueling stations with unstable hydrogen supply. Furthermore, until supply normalization is achieved, an emergency contact network will be established among the industry, related organizations, and local governments attending this meeting to continuously monitor the supply situation.

Park Chan-gi, Director of Hydrogen Economy Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, "For hydrogen vehicle users, the most important thing is to have an environment where they can conveniently refuel hydrogen anytime and anywhere. The government will do its best to ensure smooth hydrogen supply to refueling stations through close cooperation with related industries and organizations."

On the 23rd, as the hydrogen refueling station in Dongnae-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon faced difficulties due to a shortage of hydrogen supply, refueling vehicles lined up in a long queue. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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