(Incheon / South Korea) – A hydrogen mobility center with a refueling station has been inaugurated at Incheon Airport on South Korea's northwest coast, barely 30 kilometers from the capital, Seoul. The station is described as "an important driver for the conversion of airport buses and commercial vehicles to hydrogen" and as a "springboard for the expansion of Korea's hydrogen economy," according to the "ASKinno News" portal of the oil and gas company SK Innovation Co., Ltd., which was involved in the construction.
Symbolic refueling: Hyverse inaugurates the station in the presence of representatives from the city of Incheon, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Incheon International Airport Corp., Korea Gas Technology Corp., and SK Innovation E&S. © ASKinno News
The station can deliver up to 320 kilograms per hour. This capacity is sufficient for 240 large vehicles per day. 36 of the airport's 68 shuttle buses are already hydrogen-powered, with more to follow. They are used both on the airport grounds and for transfers and feeder services from surrounding regions. The Hyundai airport buses have a range of over 600 kilometers and can be fully refueled in 30 minutes—significantly faster than charging electric buses. They also cover an average of 548 kilometers per day, more than twice the distance of city buses.
The Korean metropolis of Incheon announced in 2023 its intention to use around 700 hydrogen buses from Hyundai. The "Elec City Fuel Cell" model has been in operation in South Korea since 2019. © Hyundai Truck & Bus
The project required an investment of 14,3 billion won (8,3 million euros), financed by the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the city of Incheon. The hydrogen mobility center is connected to the Incheon Liquefied Hydrogen Plant in Seo-gu, Incheon, ensuring a stable supply. The plant, installed by a subsidiary of SK Innovation, has a production capacity of 90 tons per day (30.000 tons annually).
Hyverse, another subsidiary of SK Innovation, also contributed to the costs. According to reports, the company currently operates 21 liquid hydrogen refueling stations, with plans to expand to 29 soon, enabling the operation of 6.000 buses, as recently reported by the business magazine "Businesskorea." The Sylvan Group, a Singapore-based private equity firm backed by members of the Hyundai family, is reportedly collaborating with SK Innovation to build a hydrogen infrastructure with bus refueling stations in South Korea for approximately $300 million.
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A hydrogen mobility center with a liquid hydrogen refueling station has been opened at Incheon Airport, covering 2.771 square meters. © ASKinno News
