SEOUL, SK EandS Co., the natural gas power unit of South Korea’s SK Group, said Wednesday it has completed the construction of the world’s largest liquid hydrogen plant with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons.
The plant, constructed in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, with a budget of 700 billion won (US$515 million), can produce enough liquid hydrogen to power 5,000 buses annually, the company said.
SK EandS aims to establish a nationwide distribution network by constructing 40 charging stations across the country by 2026, including 20 this year.
“Hydrogen is a carbon-free resource that can help achieve both carbon neutrality and energy security,” Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said in a congratulatory message.
“The government, in collaboration with the private sector, is actively pursuing clean hydrogen initiatives, promoting commercial hydrogen vehicles and advancing the hydrogen economy,” Ahn said, noting the latest plant will be a “game changer.”
The minister noted that the plant exe
mplifies the successful result of the government-led deregulation combined with the private sector’s investment and pledged to continue similar efforts in the hydrogen sector down the road.
Liquid hydrogen is made by cooling hydrogen to minus 253 C. The ministry said only nine countries, including South Korea, have the capability to produce it.
The resource can also be applied across various cutting-edge industries, ranging from semiconductors to the defense sector.