Ministry of SMEs and Startups to Launch Demonstration of High-Pressure, Large-Capacity Hydrogen Transport Vessels

High-Pressure and Large-Capacity Production Completed in Jeonbuk Carbon Convergence Regulatory Free Zone
Testing and Evaluation Until March Next Year... Operation Stability Demonstration Until September

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups is promoting the demonstration of high-pressure carbon composite hydrogen transport vessels that exceed domestic standards.

On the 29th, the Ministry announced that it will officially begin the demonstration of the "High-Pressure, Large-Capacity Carbon Composite Hydrogen Transport System" in collaboration with Jeollabuk-do and the Jeonbuk Carbon Convergence Industry Regulatory Free Zone.

Hydrogen tube trailers are essential equipment for the stable supply and transport of hydrogen, transporting high-pressure, large quantities of hydrogen gas to hydrogen charging stations and industrial demand sites. However, the tube trailers currently used in domestic and international markets, equipped with metal hydrogen transport vessels of 200 bar and 340 kg capacity, have limitations in transport capacity.

Countries such as the United States and Germany have commercialized tube trailers with hydrogen pressure of 500 bar and a capacity of 530 liters, replacing metal materials with carbon materials, and are conducting research and development on 700 bar tube trailers.

The Jeonbuk Carbon Convergence Industry Regulatory Free Zone plans to manufacture a 525 bar carbon composite hydrogen transport vessel, complete testing and evaluation by March next year, and install this vessel on hydrogen tube trailers to demonstrate operational safety by September next year.

This demonstration of high-pressure, large-capacity hydrogen transport vessels will manufacture hydrogen vessels exceeding domestic standards and test their safety and performance.

Jeollabuk-do and the Free Zone operators have formed a safety management committee composed of industry, academia, and experts from the Korea Gas Safety Corporation according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s conditions, conducted technical reviews, and established safety management standards. Additionally, all Free Zone operators subscribed to liability insurance by last September to prepare for any possible safety accidents.

Jeollabuk-do plans to focus on enhancing safety throughout the demonstration process through regular on-site inspections and safety education in the future.

Furthermore, starting with this hydrogen transport system demonstration, the Jeonbuk Regulatory Free Zone will sequentially begin demonstrations of carbon composite small ships, carbon composite fire water tanks, and special firefighting vehicles from January next year.

If the carbon composite 525 bar hydrogen tube trailer is commercialized through the safety demonstration of hydrogen transport vessels, it will be able to transport about 2.5 times more hydrogen compared to the currently operating metal 200 bar hydrogen tube trailers in the market.

Kim Daehee, head of the Regulatory Free Zone Planning Team at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "The Jeonbuk Carbon Convergence Industry Regulatory Free Zone will be an opportunity to appropriately respond to the increasing hydrogen demand through the commercialization of carbon convergence products."