Due to Rising Costs, a 6.8% Price Increase Is Inevitable
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The hydrogen refueling station in Gimhae, Gyeongnam, will raise its selling price to 9,400 KRW per kilogram starting from the 15th.
On the 6th, Gimhae City and Korea Gas Corporation announced that they will increase the price by 6.8% from the existing 8,800 KRW, reflecting part of the recent cost increases.
They explained that although they participated in the joint hydrogen purchase for the Busan-Gyeongnam area this year to ensure stable hydrogen supply, the increase was inevitable due to the rising operating costs such as hydrogen supply price and maintenance expenses.
According to the city, the Gimhae hydrogen refueling station was built on the site of the Korea Gas Corporation Busan-Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters in Andong with a project cost of 3 billion KRW invested by the city, and has been operated by Korea Gas Corporation since July 2021.
The station operates year-round and can refuel 10 hydrogen passenger cars or 2 hydrogen buses per hour.
Since last year, due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, international oil prices and raw material costs have surged sharply, and hydrogen transportation costs have also increased, leading 39 locations including Busan and Gangwon-do to raise hydrogen selling prices to 9,900 KRW.
Among 134 hydrogen refueling stations nationwide, selling prices range from a maximum of 12,400 KRW to a minimum of 7,700 KRW, with a national average of 9,094 KRW.
The city plans to supply hydrogen to its own refueling station starting in June this year through the trial operation of hydrogen production facilities that extract hydrogen from natural gas, which Korea Gas Corporation installed with additional project costs at the end of last year.
It is expected that once the hydrogen production base in Changwon City is established in the second half of the year, hydrogen selling prices can be lowered due to reduced transportation costs.
Near the public bus garage in Pungyu-dong, the second hydrogen refueling station is under construction, aiming to open in November this year.
A project cost of 8.855 billion KRW has been invested, and the second station will have the capacity to refuel 15 passenger cars or 4 buses per hour.
A city official said, “Once the second refueling station is completed, we will be able to set hydrogen selling prices similar to those nearby. Currently, 310 hydrogen passenger cars and 3 hydrogen buses have been distributed, and we plan to distribute 50 more this year.”
Lee Yong-gyu, head of the Climate Response Division, said, “To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and create a climate-safe city, we plan to expand the distribution of hydrogen vehicles and establish charging infrastructure by region. We will continue to cooperate with Korea Gas Corporation to supply hydrogen stably to citizens.”
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