Pyeongtaek City Opens Gyeonggi Province's First Municipal Hydrogen Charging Station

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Pyeongtaek City held the opening ceremony for 'Blue Energy Hydrogen Charging Station,' Gyeonggi Province's first municipal hydrogen charging station on the 15th.

The opening ceremony was held in a simplified manner with minimal attendance including Pyeongtaek Mayor Jung Jang-seon, Pyeongtaek City Council Chairman Hong Seon-ui, and National Assembly Member Hong Ki-won, strictly adhering to quarantine standards equivalent to COVID-19 social distancing level 3.

Blue Energy Hydrogen Charging Station was built on a site of 2,136㎡ with a facility area of 368㎡ at 240-10 Jangan-dong, Pyeongtaek City. It can charge approximately 5 hydrogen passenger vehicles in 30 minutes, with a maximum daily capacity of 65 vehicles, and can charge 2 hydrogen buses per hour.

Additionally, the station enables continuous charging of 40 or more vehicles, allowing immediate charging without waiting times even during peak hours. It is equipped with a moisture removal device developed by Korea Gas Technical Corporation, significantly improving charging performance by addressing the freezing of hydrogen charger nozzles and vehicle inlet ports.

The charging station operates from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with pilot operations scheduled to begin on the 21st and commercial operations planned to start on the 28th.

To revitalize the hydrogen economy, the city plans to support the hydrogen charging station with tube trailers and sell hydrogen at 8,000 won per kilogram, which is slightly cheaper than neighboring areas.

The opening is expected to resolve the inconveniences experienced by hydrogen vehicle drivers who previously had to use the Anseong Expressway rest area for hydrogen charging.

Meanwhile, starting with Blue Energy Hydrogen Charging Station, the city plans to build one hydrogen charging station in each district, and next year aims to expand hydrogen economy infrastructure through the completion of a hydrogen bus charging station and introduction of hydrogen buses.

Mayor Jung Jang-seon stated, "The opening of Blue Energy Hydrogen Charging Station, the first municipal facility in Gyeonggi Province, will be the cornerstone of Pyeongtaek's hydrogen economy," and added, "We will make greater efforts to discover future growth industries for our city through the hydrogen economy and reduce fine dust to create an eco-friendly city."