The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Oh Young-joo, hereinafter referred to as MSS) and Ulsan Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Du-gyeom, hereinafter referred to as Ulsan City) announced that they verified the safety of hydrogen fuel cell mobility operation and charging facilities through the 'Ulsan Hydrogen Green Mobility Regulatory-Free Special Zone (hereinafter referred to as Ulsan Special Zone)' demonstration project.
Accordingly, the 'Enforcement Regulations of the High-Pressure Gas Safety Management Act', which expands the target of hydrogen fuel charging, have been revised and implemented, and the notice on mobile hydrogen fuel charging facilities has also been revised, so all charging-related regulations related to the commercialization of hydrogen mobility have been removed.
So far, the target of hydrogen charging has been limited to automobiles, so other hydrogen mobility such as indoor logistics transport machines and ships could not be charged with hydrogen fuel, and mobile charging of indoor logistics transport machines that have difficulty using fixed charging stations was also impossible. As a result, the introduction and use of hydrogen mobility other than automobiles was limited, and it was difficult to create an industrial ecosystem for various hydrogen-based mobilities.
Accordingly, since its designation in December 2019, the Ulsan Special Zone has been conducting demonstration projects on hydrogen fuel cell indoor logistics transport machines such as forklifts and unmanned transport vehicles, as well as hydrogen ships, and through these, verified the utility and safety of hydrogen mobility operation and hydrogen fuel charging facilities.
Based on the verification results, the regulatory department and the revision of laws and regulations for the utilization of hydrogen mobility were promoted, and the 'Enforcement Decree of the High-Pressure Gas Safety Management Act' was revised in November of last year to expand the scope of hydrogen fuel charging to allow for transportation other than automobiles, and it was implemented starting in May of this year. In addition, with the revision of the notification for mobile hydrogen fuel charging, all related regulations were removed, and the legal basis for utilizing hydrogen fuel in various transportation means was established.
Regulatory improvement through demonstration projects in the Ulsan Special Zone is expected to have a positive impact on the hydrogen industry as a whole, including promoting the commercialization of new technologies related to hydrogen mobility, activating the hydrogen industry, and expanding opportunities to enter the global market.
By designating and operating the Ulsan Special Zone, a total of 44.7 billion won in investment was secured, 13 companies were attracted to the special zone, and 46 intellectual property rights were applied for and 10 were registered, laying the foundation for activating the Ulsan hydrogen industry. In particular, the special zone operators who participated in the demonstration project are playing a key role in leading the hydrogen industry in Ulsan by establishing a stable production base for hydrogen fuel cell module systems and fuel cell catalysts in Ulsan.
Lee Gyu-hyeon, head of the Special Zone Innovation Planning Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, “Through the Ulsan Hydrogen Green Mobility Special Zone, we expect that regulations on charging and charging facilities for means of transportation other than automobiles that use hydrogen as fuel will be established, which will revitalize related industries and contribute to the transition to a hydrogen economy.” He added, “The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will continue to expand the growth base of the region by supporting the smooth verification and commercialization of innovative projects through the regulatory-free special zone.”
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