Kogas to Set up Hydrogen Charging Facilities at Its Gas Supply Stations Across the Country

President Chung Seung-il of Korea Gas Corp. holds an agreement with a head of a gas company after signing an agreement with 15 gas companies to set up a special purpose company to build and operate hydrofgen charging stations and run them. (Photo:Kogas)

President Chung Seung-il of Korea Gas Corp. said the company is considering installing hydrogen supply facilities at 400 gas supply depots across the country.
He made the remark at a media briefing session held on April 25 at the Kogas Pyongtaek Gas Terminal in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. He added that charging infrastructure is needed before storage and distribution facilities can be built for hydrogen, and Kogas already has 400 gas depots around the country connected to pipelines.
Kogas signed an agreement with 15 gas companies including Hyundai Motors and SK Gas to set up a special purpose company to build and operate gas charging stations and operation. President Chung said that Kogas is well-fitted to produce hydrogen as it is best produced with natural gas, the most economical.
He also said Kogas is ready to do its best to take care of what it is called on to do when the inter Korean peace, harmony, and cooperation are achieved.
But he cautioned that any talk about inter-Korean economic cooperation is too early at this stage as many pre-conditions have to be solved. Kogas now will focus on the stable supply of natural gas in connection with the government energy policy to pick natural gas as a major energy in the country.
The government has decided to boost the LNG power generation to 18.8 percent from the current 16.9 percent in 2030 to cover for the less reliance on coal and nuclear power to generate electricity in Korea.
“We are ready to do our part to help the importation of natural gas would go smoothly under the government’s new Northern and Southern trade policy directions,” the Kogas CEO said. Kogas currently operates four LNG import terminals in South Korea, namely Incheon, Pyeongtaek, Tongyeong and Samcheok.
Kogas said in a statement it has selected the Seomkum National Industrial Complex in Dangjin, located some 120 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as the location for its fifth facility. However, the project requires approval from the local government.
If the company does not receive government approvals it plans to conduct studies on alternate target sites. Kogas plans to unveil the final decision by December 17, after completing the consultation with local governments and signing the basic agreement.
The construction of the facility is expected to be completed in 2031, while the first of ten 200,000 cubic meter LNG storage tanks will be completed by the end of 2025, the company said.
The LNG market is holding its breath over a price review arbitration case between South Korea's Kogas, the world's second biggest LNG buyer, and North West ST shelf, Australia’s first and biggest LNG exporter.
The deal at stake, a 500,000 mt/year legacy contract that expired in March 2016, would seem insignificant given the size of the companies: the equivalent of 3% of NWS capacity of 16.9 million mt/year, and only 1.3% of South Korea's total imports of 37.2 million mt in 2017, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics.
The parties hold no other LNG contracts with each other, their current bilateral trade is marginal - Platts trade flow software cFlow shows about one NWS cargo a month was delivered to South Korea in 2017 - and the prospects of closer ties are low as Kogas seeks to diversify its portfolio away from oil-linked prices.
Therefore, the impact of the contract price review on the companies' cash flows would probably be small, while the LNG supply portfolios at either side of the dispute are unlikely to be significantly affected by any potential damage to bilateral trade relations.

정부(산업부, 환경부, 국토부)는 4월25일(수) 서울 프레스센터에서 수소차 및 수소충전소 연관 기업들과 “수소충전소 설치․운영 특수목적법인(SPC)” 설립을 위한 업무협약을 체결하고, 수소충전소 확충에 힘을 모으기로 했다.

	< 행사 개요 >

∙ 일시/장소 : ‘18. 4. 25(수) 15:00 ～ 16:00, 프레스센터(서울) ∙ 주요 참석자 - (정부) 산업부 이인호 차관, 환경부 김종률 대기환경정책관, 국토부 백승근 도로국장 - (업계) 한국가스공사 정승일 사장, 현대자동차 정진행 사장, 덕양 김기철 사장, SPG 김영태 사장, 이엠솔루션 강삼수 사장, 린데코리아 양한용 부사장, 에어리퀴드코리아 박일용 사장, 효성 현철 사장, SK가스 이재훈 사장, 광신기계공업 권환주 대표이사, 소나무 강인용 대표, 넬-덕양 임희천 대표, 한국도로공사 고채석 본부장

양해각서(MOU)를 체결한 기관을 중심으로 특수목적법인(SPC) 설립위원회를 구성해 세부적인 사업 모델과 투자규모를 확정하고, 참여기업을 추가로 모집해 올해 11월 중에 설립을 완료할 계획이다.

미국(H2USA), 일본(JHyM), 독일(H2 Mobility)도 여러 개의 민간기업이 참여하는 SPC를 통해 수소차 및 수소충전소 보급 중이다.

수소충전소는 설치 비용(약 30억 원)이 높고 운영(연간 약 2억원) 과정에서도 수익이 나기 어려워 그간 민간 기업보다는 지방자치단체와 연구기관을 중심으로 구축해왔다.

이번에 설립하는 특수목적법인(SPC)은 여러 기업의 공동투자를 통해 초기 위험 부담을 완화하고, 다양한 비즈니스 모델 적용을 통해 민간이 자생적으로 수소충전소 구축․운영이 가능한 사업모델을 제시할 예정이다.

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