Seoul City to Develop Gas Stations as 'Future-Oriented Living Logistics Hubs'... Drones and Robots to Handle Logistics

GS Caltex and Korea's First 'Future-Oriented Advanced Logistics Complex Gas Station' Established
Addressing Insufficient Living Logistics Infrastructure, Serving as a Testbed for Robot and Drone Delivery
Unmanned and Automated Smart MFC Created Within Gas Station... Robots Automatically Store and Organize 3,600 Items Daily

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Inside a gas station, robots automatically sort, store, and organize items at a cutting-edge unmanned and automated logistics facility, while drone couriers take off from a drone station on the gas station rooftop, and autonomous delivery robots load and deliver goods on the ground.

On the 28th, Seoul City announced that it will start an experiment to transform gas stations, which need to adapt due to the trend toward eco-friendly internal combustion engine vehicles, into ‘future-oriented advanced logistics hubs’ by combining lifestyle logistics functions with advanced technologies such as robots and drones. The goal is to reinterpret the existing gas station space, which was centered on fueling and car wash services, in a future-oriented way to solve the severely insufficient lifestyle logistics infrastructure in Seoul amid growing demand, and to utilize the space to demonstrate various future logistics technologies.

First, Seoul City will collaborate with GS Caltex to develop the Naegok Gas Station in Seocho-gu into a future-oriented advanced logistics complex gas station. Construction is scheduled to begin in December with completion targeted for the first half of next year. While there have been cases of combining parcel pickup spaces or logistics warehouses with gas stations, this is the first nationwide attempt to integrate smart logistics facilities, robots, drones, and other future logistics functions.

The future-oriented advanced logistics complex gas station will maintain existing gas station functions while establishing a state-of-the-art unmanned and automated logistics facility called Smart MFC (Micro Fulfillment Center) and deliver goods using future mobility such as drones and robots based at the gas station. It will also concentrate eco-friendly mobility hubs by integrating electric vehicle charging facilities and shared mobility options like Ddareungi bike-sharing. This project is being promoted as part of the digital logistics service demonstration support project announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in April this year. Seoul City selected GS Caltex’s Naegok Gas Station as the target site through a public recruitment in the first half of this year and signed a business agreement with GS Caltex in September.

The Smart MFC is a facility where item storage and pickup are unmanned, constructed on a 120㎡ (36-pyeong) site within the gas station. Five to six robots move along rails above the facility to automatically process 3,600 boxes daily. Unlike conventional logistics facilities that require space between aisles for human and forklift movement, the Smart MFC can store items in a compressed manner, improving space utilization by up to 400%. Smart MFC functions not only as a small-scale fulfillment center for last-mile delivery needed by logistics and distribution companies requiring urban delivery hubs but also provides lifestyle logistics services such as storage and pickup of daily necessities for nearby residents and gas station customers.

Lifestyle logistics processed at the Smart MFC will be delivered to nearby residential areas via future mobility such as robots and drones. To this end, a drone station will be established on the gas station canopy roof, and delivery demonstrations will be conducted to nearby areas and children’s facilities. Additionally, after completion next year, robot logistics will also be demonstrated based on the gas station. Startups wishing to demonstrate robot logistics will be provided with the gas station site and facilities as a testbed and supported with dedicated office space, operating Naegok Gas Station as a growth hub for future logistics.

Eco-friendly infrastructure such as four electric vehicle charging stations and various shared mobility options like Ddareungi bike-sharing and personal mobility (PM) devices will be intensively installed within the gas station to enhance resident convenience. Solar panels will be installed on the gas station canopy roof to generate an average of 1,300 kW of electricity per month, supplying about 70% of the Smart MFC’s power needs.

Since gas stations are subject to strict regulations under the Dangerous Goods Safety Control Act for safety reasons, Seoul City completed regulatory rapid confirmation (June) and Seocho-gu building permits (November) to establish the Smart MFC within the gas station. Construction will begin in December with completion targeted for the first half of next year.

Meanwhile, Seoul City and GS Caltex have agreed to secure 50% of the revenue generated from operating the Smart MFC within the future-oriented advanced logistics complex gas station as city funds to establish a virtuous cycle system for supporting logistics startups in the future. The city plans to invest the secured budget in various demonstration projects based on the gas station to support the growth of logistics startups.

Baek Ho, Director of Urban Transportation at Seoul City, said, “The project to create Seoul’s future-oriented advanced logistics complex gas station is the first innovative case in Korea that transforms the existing gas station, which was centered on fueling and car wash services, into an advanced logistics, eco-friendly, and mobility hub.” He added, “Through the complex gas station being established this time, we will improve the city’s logistics environment and demonstrate future logistics technologies such as drones and robots to enhance Seoul’s logistics competitiveness.”