17,000 hydrogen vehicles distributed, 91 charging stations built, 6 production bases completed, and 3 liquefaction plants completed.
Discussion of hydrogen demand and supply outlook for mobility and cooperation measures for stable hydrogen supply.

Taking the temporary disruption in hydrogen supply in some regions, including Gangwon and Chungcheongbuk-do, as a lesson from last year, we will strengthen the organic collaboration system between 'demand and supply' and 'government and industry' to ensure a smooth supply of hydrogen and minimize inconvenience to hydrogen vehicle users in 2023.

On the 23rd, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy launched the 'Hydrogen Supply and Demand Council for Mobility' at the Coal Association Hall, with Director of Energy Policy Cheon Young-gil as the chairperson.

This council is comprised of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which oversees hydrogen supply and demand, and the hydrogen distribution agency (Korea Gas Corporation), with related ministries (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport), hydrogen charging station operators, and hydrogen car manufacturers in the demand sector.

The supply sector consists of gaseous and liquefied hydrogen producers and hydrogen distributors, while the Korea Gas Safety Corporation and the Korea Petroleum Quality and Distribution Authority will provide advisory and support on supply-demand issues.

The council will hold regular meetings once a quarter and may hold meetings on an ad hoc basis when issues related to hydrogen supply and demand arise.It's true.

In particular, this kickoff meeting forecasted the overall demand and supply of hydrogen for mobility in 2023 and discussed cooperative measures to ensure a stable supply of hydrogen.

As of the end of 2022, 29,733 hydrogen vehicles have been distributed, and the Ministry of Environment plans to distribute an additional 16,920 vehicles by the end of the year, including 16,000 Nexos, 700 buses, 100 trucks, and 120 garbage trucks, for a total of 47,000 vehicles.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it plans to support local governments that have secured hydrogen infrastructure and are willing to distribute large-scale hydrogen buses, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also said it will continue to work to convert commercial vehicles such as buses, taxis, and trucks to hydrogen vehicles.

Hyundai Motor, a hydrogen vehicle manufacturer, plans to expand the number of hydrogen commercial vehicles manufactured in 2023, including full-scale production of high-floor buses.

As of the end of 2022, 229 hydrogen charging stations have been built, and the Ministry of Environment plans to build 91 more by the end of this year, bringing the total to 320.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to expand hydrogen charging stations at transportation and logistics hubs, including hydrogen charging stations for trucks, hydrogen transportation complexes, and highway hydrogen charging stations, by 2023.

HyNet, a leading private hydrogen charging station operator, plans to open up to 17 additional stations this year, bringing the total number of stations to 54, while Kohaizen, a hydrogen commercial vehicle charging station operator, is actively working to expand its hydrogen charging stations, operating a total of 8 stations by the end of this year.

In addition, to expand not only gas filling stations but also liquefied petroleum gas filling stations, SK E&S plans to build and operate 11 stations by the end of the year in line with the completion of the liquefaction plant.

■ Supply plan including construction of hydrogen production bases and liquefaction plants and operation of hydrogen distribution companies

Gas Technology Corporation, a producer of hydrogen gas for mobility, will restart its Pyeongtaek production facility with a capacity of 7 tons per day in April.In addition, the gas company plans to build production bases in Changwon (10 tons/day) and Gwangju (4 tons/day) in November to respond to large-scale demand expansion.

Additionally, to supply hydrogen near demand areas, small-scale production facilities (1 ton/day) will be built in regional hubs such as Incheon, Daejeon, Busan, and Wanju within this year.

Liquefied hydrogen will begin construction in May in the Changwon region (5 tons/day), followed by Incheon (90 tons/day) in November and Ulsan (15 tons/day) in December, to meet the growing demand for hydrogen commercial vehicles.

The hydrogen distributor plans to supply approximately 5,800 tons of hydrogen to charging stations this year, and plans to actively participate in ensuring a stable supply of hydrogen by increasing the number of compressors and establishing shipping facilities.

Hydrogen supply and demand outlook

In 2023, demand is expected to reach approximately 10,000 tons due to the spread of hydrogen vehicles, and supply capacity is expected to reach up to approximately 15,000 tons due to the construction of production bases and liquefaction plants. Therefore, the overall hydrogen supply and demand situation is expected to be good.

However, as the construction of production bases and liquefaction plants is concentrated in the second half of the year, we plan to continuously monitor the supply and demand situation through the consultative body to prevent supply and demand imbalances by period and region.

Energy Policy Director Cheon Young-gil said, “As hydrogen cars and hydrogen charging stations have a significant impact on people’s daily lives, we must strengthen the organic cooperation system between demand and supply-related agencies to ensure that users do not experience any inconvenience.”

/div>