South Korea will lower explosive hazard restrictions for hydrogen refuelling stations to help boost their numbers

There are currently 192 refuelling stations in the country, but demand for new fuel cell vehicles fell by more than 50 per cent last year.

The South Korean government today (Friday) announced plans to relax safety regulations for hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) as part of plans to increase their number to 458 by 2030.

Key among the proposed changes is the removal of the requirement that hydrogen equipment must be at least 12 metres away from surrounding buildings to protect third-party property in the event of an explosion. This rule limits the number of possible locations where an HRS system can be built - especially in densely populated cities in South Korea.

Despite improvements in regulation, rules restricting the installation and operation of charging stations remain," explains the new document 'Regulatory Innovation Plan for the World's No. 1 Hydrogen Industry', which was published today after an emergency meeting of the country's economic ministers.

The government plans to replace HRS distance restrictions with a new requirement for "protective walls", which must be made of reinforced concrete, concrete blocks and/or steel plates.

Further relaxation of hydrogen-related safety rules proposed in the new document includes the elimination of metal pipework in electrolysis systems and a dam, or "discharge weir", around ammonia storage tanks that must capture escaping NH3 in the event of a leak.

The South Korean government plans to have 300,000 hydrogen-powered cars, vans and trucks on the country's roads by 2030, up from 34,258 at the end of last year.