The Korea Gas Corporation said Friday that it will partner with the cities of Changwon and Tongyeong in South Gyeongsang Province to build a hydrogen fusion charging station by 2022.

The plan to build a hydrogen fusion charging station came after Kogas and the two southern cities were recently tapped as the operator of a pilot project for establishing a hydrogen transportation complex by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The construction project of a hydrogen transportation complex is a new business model for building a large-capacity hydrogen charging station along with related facilities where demand is high, such as transit centers, railway stations or garages, the ministry explained, so it must consider usability and expandability.

As an all-in-one charging station, the hydrogen transportation complex will be able to support fuel for various types of vehicles with hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas and electricity stations, according to Kogas.

“Through the establishment of the hydrogen transportation complex, we will accelerate the eco-friendly changes in 14,000 trucks entering the Jinhae New Port,” a Kogas official said. “We will also contribute to Tongyeong’s city policy to introduce 113 hydrogen buses by 2030.”

Kogas, meanwhile, recently conducted a reorganization to launch a new hydrogen business headquarters with mergers and acquisitions and investment departments to expand its role in the future energy sector.

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)