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The hydrogen atom is tiny. Getting sufficient of it in a single place requires pressures discovered at three to seven kilometers below the floor of the ocean. Unsurprisingly, it leaks. Because it’s an oblique greenhouse gasoline and an explosion threat, that’s an enormous downside. South Korea has been studying precisely what meaning.
On December 23, 2024, a hydrogen-powered bus exploded at a refueling station in Mokhaeng-dong, Chungju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea. The incident occurred shortly after the bus had accomplished refueling and was beginning its drive system, leading to accidents to a few people: a charging station worker, the bus driver, and one other particular person current on the scene. All had been hospitalized with non-life-threatening accidents. A pink warning gentle on the dashboard was the one indicator that one thing was flawed earlier than the incident.
Within the aftermath of the explosion, a beforehand unscheduled inspection of the 147 hydrogen buses working within the nation discovered that one in 9 had been leaking. Unsurprisingly, the vibration of regular use eased off the tightness of varied bolts and seals, permitting the leaks, that are being characterised as small. I used to be unable to search out any governmental studies on the diploma of leakage, however could be unsurprised to search out it was larger than 1% of hydrogen per day. Hydrogen is the Houdini of molecules. Holding it inside issues requires precision engineering, high-technology seals, good meeting, and fixed upkeep. Checking the entire issues which could loosen and trigger leaks would require partial disassembly of autos, including to already excessive upkeep prices.
On December 27, 2024, a fireplace occurred at a hydrogen refueling station in Hoedong-dong, Busan, South Korea. The incident was initially reported as an explosion because of a loud noise and vibrations felt in close by buildings. Nonetheless, subsequent investigations clarified that the hearth resulted from a hydrogen leak attributable to the activation of a security valve, not an explosion. The fireplace was extinguished inside roughly 50 minutes, and no casualties had been reported.
That is removed from the primary time issues like this have occurred On Might 23, 2019, a hydrogen tank explosion occurred at Gangwon Technopark in Gangneung, South Korea, leading to two fatalities and 6 accidents. The incident happened throughout a take a look at operation of a gas cell generator, the place oxygen inadvertently seeped into the hydrogen storage tanks, resulting in the explosion.
South Korea’s hydrogen vehicles aren’t immune. In a current re-inspection, 1,463 out of 9,482 vehicles, primarily Hyundai Nexo fashions, had been discovered to have hydrogen gasoline leaks. The leaks, detected in parts akin to storage tanks and valves, raised security considerations because of the potential threat of fireplace or explosion. Hyundai has initiated a world recall of the Nexo to handle the difficulty, changing defective components and conducting particular inspections.
Whereas the dangers of hydrogen autos exploding have tended to be overstated, the excessive share of autos discovered to be leaking when inspected means parking hydrogen autos in enclosed areas with out glorious air flow is a nasty concept. Whereas hydrogen was not the trigger within the current bus depot fireplace in France that destroyed most of a small city’s hydrogen buses, it wouldn’t shock me if one or two of them weren’t leaking small quantities of hydrogen which contributed to the blaze.
Gross sales of Hyundai’s Nexo hydrogen gas cell car noticed a pointy decline in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, Hyundai offered 4,328 Nexos in South Korea, a major drop from the ten,164 items offered the earlier yr. U.S. gross sales additionally fell to 241 items from 408 in 2022. The downturn deepened in 2024, with South Korean gross sales plummeting by 99.4% in January, amounting to only two autos offered that month, and complete U.S. gross sales for the yr dropping to 93 items, a 61% decline from 2023. Individuals globally are voting with their pocketbooks to purchase electrical vehicles, not gas cell vehicles, one thing Hyundai was betting on.
South Korea’s hydrogen refueling infrastructure has confronted important setbacks lately, with almost half of the nation’s hydrogen refueling stations experiencing breakdowns between 2022 and 2024, leading to over 1,100 cumulative days of downtime. In November 2023, a significant hydrogen provide disruption briefly closed three-quarters of the nation’s stations, leaving drivers stranded and a few autos needing towing. Whereas the variety of hydrogen autos on the highway has almost tripled since 2021, rising to over 34,000, the infrastructure has not saved tempo, with solely 203 stations in operation.
The nation tried to develop hydrogen-powered trains as nicely, with Hyundai Rotem main efforts to develop alternate options for non-electrified rail routes. Backed by authorities funding below the Hydrogen Economic system Roadmap, the initiative faces important hurdles, together with the excessive prices of hydrogen gas cell know-how and the manufacturing challenges tied to inexperienced hydrogen. Thus far, just one temporary trial on tracks was carried out.
Whereas South Korea been funding the event of hydrogen-powered ferries, none have but entered industrial service, remaining within the pilot or growth stage because of excessive prices, infrastructure challenges, and the complexities of hydrogen manufacturing. In distinction, battery-electric ferries have already begun working on quick routes, such because the “Green Dolphin,” benefiting from easier infrastructure and extra mature know-how.
As of January 2025, there have been no confirmed orders for liquefied hydrogen (LH2) tanker ships from South Korean shipbuilders. Whereas corporations like HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering have been actively creating designs and applied sciences for large-scale LH₂ carriers, these efforts stay within the analysis and growth section. As an example, in Might 2024, Shell and HHI entered right into a joint growth settlement to design and assemble a large-scale LH₂ provider, focusing on commercialization by 2030. Nonetheless, this collaboration has not but resulted in agency orders. Equally, in January 2025, the South Korean authorities launched a challenge to design and construct the nation’s first liquefied hydrogen provider, named Hydro Ocean Ok, with completion anticipated by December 2028. This initiative can also be in its early phases, specializing in design and growth slightly than quick building orders.
The Changwon Hydrogen Liquefaction Plant, South Korea’s first of its variety, has been labeled a failure by a particular committee established by town council. In an interim report, the committee criticized officers for allegedly speeding the challenge with out correct feasibility checks or adherence to authorized procedures. Accomplished final yr by Doosan Enerbility, the plant was designed to liquefy 5 tonnes of hydrogen day by day from unabated pure gasoline for refueling stations however stays non-operational and has failed on-site testing. The challenge, backed by a 95 billion gained ($65 million) mortgage assured by town, lacked a required fiscal impression evaluation and metropolis council approval for the collateral plan. The committee condemned the administration for evasion and non-cooperation in the course of the investigation and vowed to demand accountability from key witnesses.
It’s fairly possible going to result in prison prices, with the hydrogen for power area being the subsequent nuclear corruption scandal within the nation. In 2012, South Korea discovered that reactor components had been provided with falsified security certificates and broadly put in, resulting in the shutdown of a number of nuclear reactors. The following investigation revealed widespread corruption throughout the nuclear trade, ensuing within the indictment of roughly 100 people, together with a high former state utility official. By 2014, 68 folks had been sentenced, collectively receiving 253 years of jail time. Will hydrogen see that stage of considerations? It’s fairly potential.
The current political turmoil in South Korea is significant on this context. President Yoon Suk Yeol was elected because the President of South Korea in March 2022. He championed the growth of nuclear power and the event of a hydrogen financial system as key parts of the nation’s carbon neutrality technique. He reversed the earlier administration’s nuclear phase-out coverage, aiming to extend nuclear energy’s share of electrical energy era to 34.6% by 2036 and dedicated 4 trillion gained ($3 billion) to nuclear analysis and growth throughout his time period. On hydrogen, he promoted its integration into the power combine and proposed establishing a “Carbon-Free Alliance” to increase the usage of each nuclear energy and inexperienced hydrogen. He served till his impeachment by the Nationwide Meeting on December 14, 2024, following his declaration of martial legislation on December 3, 2024.
The nation has been advancing its hydrogen power technique for the reason that early 2000s. The 2018 Hydrogen Economic system Roadmap set formidable targets, together with 6.2 million hydrogen autos and 1,200 refueling stations by 2040. In 2021, South Korea grew to become the primary nation to enact a complete hydrogen legislation, formalizing its dedication to manufacturing, storage, and distribution.
Late in December, BloombergNEF analysts recommended that the change in political management within the nation may result in a pivot on its hydrogen technique. Not one of the hydrogen targets have been remotely near being met. Their hydrogen autos and refueling stations are leaking hydrogen, catching fireplace and exploding. Now it’s clear that hydrogen is a greenhouse gasoline, albeit not directly, and 13 to 37 instances worse than carbon dioxide, so small leaks go a good distance. It’s time for South Korea to surrender on the useless finish of hydrogen for power and refocus its trade and financial system on electrification.
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Author : tech365
Publish date : 2025-01-17 05:41:11
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