GS Caltex opens its first hydrogen-fueling station

GS Caltex's "energy station" in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul. [GS CALTEX]

Seoul’s second commercial hydrogen-fueling station will open Thursday as part of GS Caltex’s “energy station” in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul.

The opening of the hydrogen station marks the final stage in GS Caltex's project to build a one-stop refueling center catering to every type of vehicle on Korean roads.

Located on a plot of land measuring more than 3,300 square meters (0.8 acres), the station now caters to gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), electricity and hydrogen vehicles.

The hydrogen station in Gangdong is the fourth hydrogen-fueling station in Seoul and the first to be built on privately-owned land in the city. Seoul’s first hydrogen station is located inside National Assembly grounds in Yeouido, western Seoul. Instead of producing hydrogen on the spot, the Gangdong facility will have hydrogen delivered from elsewhere, which the company claims is safer for the community.

Operation hours are between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. The facility has the capacity to fully charge 70 hydrogen-powered vehicles a day, the company said.

For the hydrogen station, GS Caltex partnered with Hyundai Motor, which has been at the forefront of expanding infrastructure for hydrogen-powered vehicles in the country. Nationwide, the Gangdong facility is Hyundai’s eighth hydrogen-fueling station.

The carmaker took part in the station’s construction, while oil refiner GS Caltex offered land and will now take charge of the facility’s operation.

With eco-friendly cars becoming increasingly common, the company has been making efforts to expand relevant infrastructure. GS Caltex first installed electric vehicle (EV) chargers at its locations in May 2019. It’s currently running 41 EV chargers nationwide and plans to install 40 more within this year. The Gangdong facility is its first hydrogen-fueling station.

“The services we offer like eco-friendly energy supply or EV sharing are efforts to meet a larger trend in the mobility industry,” GS Caltex said, adding that its goal is to make sure gas stations remain a “mobility hub” as the industry shifts to more environmentally-friendly fuel sources.

BY SONG KYOUNG-SON [song.kyoungson@joongang.co.kr]