Korean Hydrogen Explosions, Leaks, Auction Failure & Impeachment May Cause Pivot

Join daily news updates from CleanTechnica on electronic mail. Or follow us on Google News!

The hydrogen atom is tiny. Getting sufficient of it in a single place requires pressures discovered at three to seven kilometers underneath the floor of the ocean. Unsurprisingly, it leaks. Because it’s an oblique greenhouse gasoline and an explosion danger, that’s a giant drawback. South Korea has been studying precisely what which means.

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 mild on the dashboard was the one indicator that one thing was incorrect 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. Preserving it within issues requires precision engineering, high-technology seals, excellent meeting, and fixed upkeep. Checking all the 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. Nevertheless, subsequent investigations clarified that the hearth resulted from a hydrogen leak attributable to the activation of a security valve, not an explosion. The hearth 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 passed off throughout a take a look at operation of a gasoline 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 resembling storage tanks and valves, raised security issues because of the potential danger of fireplace or explosion. Hyundai has initiated a world recall of the Nexo to handle the problem, 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 foul thought. 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 gasoline cell automobile noticed a pointy decline in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, Hyundai offered 4,328 Nexos in South Korea, a big drop from the ten,164 models offered the earlier 12 months. U.S. gross sales additionally fell to 241 models from 408 in 2022. The downturn deepened in 2024, with South Korean gross sales plummeting by 99.4% in January, amounting to simply two autos offered that month, and whole U.S. gross sales for the 12 months dropping to 93 models, a 61% decline from 2023. Folks globally are voting with their pocketbooks to purchase electrical vehicles, not gasoline cell vehicles, one thing Hyundai was betting on.

South Korea’s hydrogen refueling infrastructure has confronted vital 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 serious 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 stored tempo, with solely 203 stations in operation.

The nation tried to develop hydrogen-powered trains as effectively, with Hyundai Rotem main efforts to develop alternate options for non-electrified rail routes. Backed by authorities funding underneath the Hydrogen Financial system Roadmap, the initiative faces vital hurdles, together with the excessive prices of hydrogen gasoline cell expertise and the manufacturing challenges tied to inexperienced hydrogen. To this point, 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 brief routes, such because the “Green Dolphin,” benefiting from easier infrastructure and extra mature expertise.

In additional unhealthy information for the nation’s hydrogen plans in November 2024, it concluded its inaugural clear hydrogen energy technology public sale underneath the Clear Hydrogen Portfolio Commonplace. The Korea Energy Trade introduced that out of six energy crops collaborating with a mixed capability of 6,172 GWh, just one bidder, Korea Southern Energy, was chosen. KOSPO’s proposal to supply 750 GWh yearly by co-firing ammonia at its Samcheok Bitdream Headquarters energy plant was the only real bid under the federal government’s undisclosed worth ceiling. This consequence highlighted challenges within the viability of hydrogen for power, as solely 11% of the provided quantity was awarded.

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 growing designs and applied sciences for large-scale LH₂ carriers, these efforts stay within the analysis and growth section. For example, in Might 2024, Shell and HHI entered right into a joint growth settlement to design and assemble a large-scale LH₂ provider, concentrating on commercialization by 2030. Nevertheless, this collaboration has not but resulted in agency orders. Equally, in January 2025, the South Korean authorities launched a undertaking 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 quite than fast building orders.

The Changwon Hydrogen Liquefaction Plant, South Korea’s first of its form, has been labeled a failure by a particular committee established by the town council. In an interim report, the committee criticized officers for allegedly speeding the undertaking with out correct feasibility checks or adherence to authorized procedures. Accomplished final 12 months 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 undertaking, backed by a 95 billion gained ($65 million) mortgage assured by the town, lacked a required fiscal affect evaluation and metropolis council approval for the collateral plan. The committee condemned the administration for evasion and non-cooperation throughout the investigation and vowed to demand accountability from key witnesses.

It’s fairly possible going to result in prison costs, 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 equipped with falsified security certificates and broadly put in, resulting in the shutdown of a number of nuclear reactors. The following investigation revealed widespread corruption inside the nuclear business, ensuing within the indictment of roughly 100 people, together with a prime former state utility official. By 2014, 68 folks had been sentenced, collectively receiving 253 years of jail time. Will hydrogen see that degree of issues? It’s fairly attainable.

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 enlargement of nuclear power and the event of a hydrogen economic 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 technology 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 broaden using 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 Financial 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 urged 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 lifeless finish of hydrogen for power and refocus its business and economic system on electrification.