The Korean government is being urged to build more stations to support the nation’s hydrogen economy.

A shortage of hydrogen fueling stations is causing inconvenience and frustration for the public. The limited number of fueling stations means that hydrogen vehicle owners must travel long distances to the nearest fueling station. What’s more, once they get to the station, they often have to wait in line for hours for their turn to fuel up. 

Safety concerns stalled the government’s initial plans to build more stations.

According to the clean air planning division from the Ministry of Environment’s air quality policy bureau, public concern about safety issues had delayed the introduction of more stations.

The concerns stemmed from a hydrogen tank explosion at Gangneung Science Industry Complex in Gangwon Province back in May, an explosion that injured eight people. The concerns were made worse by the hydrogen fueling station explosion in Norway in June, which sent two more people to hospital.