Act on the Hydrogen Economy Fostering Plan and Safety Management (Hydrogen Act)

(1) Enforced on February 5, 2021 [Act No. 16942, enacted on February 4, 2020]

On January 9, last year, at the National Assembly plenary session, the Hydrogen Economy Fostering and Hydrogen Safety Management Act was passed. Eight bills have been introduced before the bill is passed. Starting with the ‘Hydrogen Economy Act (draft)’ proposed by Rep. Lee Won-wook, Rep. Chae-ik Lee’s Hydrogen Economy Revitalization Act (draft), Rep. Gyu-hwan Kim’s Special Act for Fostering the Hydrogen Industry (draft), Rep. Young-seok Yoon’s Hydrogen Industry Promotion Act (draft), Rep. of the Hydrogen Society Formation Act (draft), Rep. Jeon Hyun-hee’s Hydrogen Fuel Safety Management and Business Act (draft), Rep. Park Young-sun’s Hydrogen Safety Management and Business Act (draft), and Representative Song Gap-seok’s Hydrogen Economy Fostering and Hydrogen Safety Management Act (draft) ), etc. If you look at the proposed legislation, it mainly focuses on the formation of a hydrogen society and safety management. It can be seen that both the opposition and opposition lawmakers agreed that the development of a hydrogen economy and safe hydrogen management are necessary. The enactment of the Hydrogen Act is meaningful in that it provides a legal basis for safety management of low-pressure hydrogen products and facilities that use hydrogen fuel, and promotes the hydrogen economy by law, not government policy.

[Main contents of the Hydrogen Act and subordinate laws]

The Hydrogen Act, which consists of a total of 62 articles, is entrusted with the Presidential Decree for 59 items, including qualifications for hydrogen specialized companies, and 43 items, including hydrogen equipment inspection standards, by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, Korea Energy Agency, Korea Gas Safety Corporation, Korea Gas Corporation, Chung-Ang University (research institute), Korea Gas Safety Corporation Gas Safety Research Institute, Hydrogen Convergence Alliance Promotion Team, Energy Technology Evaluation Institute, etc. A TF was formed with 20 experts from 8 organizations and after 5 discussions, a draft sub-law was prepared. After that, on September 28, the enactment of the hydrogen law enforcement ordinance and enforcement rules were legislated.

 

The subordinate statute stipulates ▲the promotion of hydrogen specialized companies ▲installation of hydrogen fuel supply facilities ▲the creation of a dedicated institution for the implementation of the hydrogen economy ▲hydrogen sales price ▲insurance purchase ▲certification standards, etc. It contains information on the systematic development of the hydrogen industry and safety management such as hydrogen products and facilities using hydrogen fuel.

Our products applied in Table 3 are water electrolysis facilities, hydrogen extractors, and fuel cell facilities that use hydrogen directly. In the meantime, it was impossible to manufacture products because there were no safety regulations.