Linde: builds four new hydrogen refuelling stations in South Korea

Leading industrial gas heavyweight Linde plc has signed a long-term agreement to build, own and operate four new hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) in Chungnam, South Korea.

The 15-year contract was signed with the Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) and will see the four new stations operational by December 2020.

South Korea unveiled ambitious plans last year to have 80,000 hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles on South Korea’s roads by 2022.

The plans were unveiled by President Moon Jae-in as he announced his government’s determination to build a hydrogen economy. The South Korean Government sees hydrogen as a new engine for economic growth and central to the country’s shift to a low-carbon economy in the long-term.

Moon announced a roadmap which would see the country produce 6.2 million units of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and build 1,200 refuelling stations by 2040.

The new HRS from Linde will be supplied with hydrogen from its manufacturing facilities in the nearby Pyeongtaek area, the company said.

Sanjiv Lamba, Executive Vice-President, CEO of Asia Pacific at Linde, enthused, “As a global leader in hydrogen technology and mobility solutions, Linde is pleased to further expand its presence in South Korea through our latest agreement with KEC. We are delighted to see the growing momentum for hydrogen as a sustainable source of energy across Asia and continue to work with various stakeholders to support the development of a safe and efficient hydrogen ecosystem by deploying Linde’s world-class hydrogen solutions.”

B.S. Sung, President of Linde Korea, added, “We are proud to be selected by KEC to help develop the future of mobility in Korea, a major step forward in our mission of making our world more productive.”

“This achievement is testament to Linde’s industry-leading technology and meeting the highest safety standards.”

Linde is a member of both the Hydrogen Council and the board of directors of H2 Korea, the Korean hydrogen alliance founded in 2017 to promote and establish a hydrogen ecosystem through policy planning, infrastructure and technology development.