KOGAS announced on May 30 that it has formed a strategic alliance with GS Caltex to launch a liquefied hydrogen production and supply business. The two companies are planning to build a liquefied hydrogen mega station with an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons and supply liquefied hydrogen to the Seoul metropolitan area and the nation’s central region in the future.
The project is designed to extract hydrogen from natural gas, convert it into liquefied hydrogen and store it by utilizing LNG cold energy, and supplies it to liquefied hydrogen charging stations in the metropolitan area using tank lorries. The plant is scheduled to be completed in December 2024. Liquefied hydrogen is easier to store and transport because its volume is reduced to an 800th compared to gas.
In particular, KOGAS said that it can lower the cost of producing liquefied hydrogen by up to 30 percent by utilizing cold energy wasted during the LNF regasification process for the first time in the world.
LNG cold energy is generated when LNG vaporizes from minus 162 degrees to zero degrees Celsius. When LNG vaporizes, about 200 kcal of cold energy is generated per kilogram and an effective use of this energy holds the key to the success of the LNG cold energy business.
Cold energy has been dumped into the sea or into the air. However, the LNG cold energy business has attracted attention as the shift from fossil fuels to eco-friendly energy has become a hot issue recently.
