GITNUXREPORT 2026

Korea Hydrogen Industry Statistics

South Korea is rapidly expanding its hydrogen industry with significant investment and production growth.

138 statistics99 sources5 sections15 min readUpdated 20 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

South Korea’s hydrogen production using renewable energy increased by 46.2% to 17,720 tons in 2023

Statistic 2

South Korea announced the “Hydrogen Economy Roadmap” with a target of 204,000 fuel-cell vehicles by 2022 and 1,200 hydrogen refueling stations by 2040

Statistic 3

South Korea’s government set a target of 6.2 million tons of hydrogen imports by 2030

Statistic 4

South Korea’s fuel cell vehicle target was 6,200 fuel-cell vehicles by 2020 (earlier roadmap)

Statistic 5

South Korea’s hydrogen refueling station target was 1,200 stations by 2040 (Hydrogen Economy Roadmap)

Statistic 6

South Korea’s “Hydrogen Economy Roadmap” targeted 5.3 GW of fuel cell power generation capacity by 2040

Statistic 7

South Korea’s hydrogen commercialization plan (2019) targeted commercialization of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers with annual capacity of 1.0 GW by 2040

Statistic 8

South Korea’s hydrogen ecosystem initiative projected cumulative public investment of KRW 22.8 trillion (about USD 19.6B at 2019 rates) through 2025 for hydrogen technologies (Hydrogen Economy Roadmap implementation plan)

Statistic 9

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated hydrogen policy budget for 2024 was KRW 1.0 trillion

Statistic 10

South Korea’s 2023 hydrogen station support program allocated KRW 238.4 billion for construction/operation support

Statistic 11

South Korea’s 2022 “Hydrogen Charging Station Construction Support” program allocated KRW 200 billion

Statistic 12

South Korea’s 2021 fuel cell vehicle program supported purchase of up to KRW 18 million per vehicle (in subsidy amount)

Statistic 13

South Korea’s “Act on the Development and Support of Hydrogen Energy Utilization” includes provisions for safety and support of hydrogen energy, with consolidated enforcement date 2019-01-01 (Act No. 16233, effective 2019.01.01)

Statistic 14

South Korea’s hydrogen-related “Safety Management for Hydrogen” regulation requires leak testing for hydrogen refueling stations under certain conditions, with revision date 2020-12-30

Statistic 15

South Korea’s “Hydrogen Energy Roadmap” (2021 update) targeted 1,000 hydrogen stations by 2025 (government plan)

Statistic 16

South Korea targeted 15% hydrogen blending in city gas by 2030 (Policy target cited in national plan)

Statistic 17

South Korea’s Hydrogen Energy Utilization Promotion Act amendment (2020) broadened eligibility for hydrogen mobility infrastructure subsidies

Statistic 18

South Korea’s government set a target for renewable hydrogen production capacity of 50 MW by 2025 (per Hydrogen Economy Roadmap supporting measures)

Statistic 19

South Korea set a target to deploy 6.5 million tons of clean hydrogen by 2040 (roadmap range)

Statistic 20

South Korea established the “Hydrogen Safety Management Guidelines” with revision year 2021

Statistic 21

South Korea’s Green New Deal included hydrogen as a core sector with KRW 5.5 trillion investment target (as stated in government press release)

Statistic 22

South Korea planned to scale hydrogen fuel cell bus deployment to 2,000 by 2025

Statistic 23

South Korea’s 2024 budget for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and charging stations included KRW 430.9 billion

Statistic 24

South Korea announced “Hydrogen Charging Station Business Plan” requiring 24/7 operation and safety compliance for stations, effective 2023-04-01

Statistic 25

South Korea targeted 70 GW of fuel cell generation by 2050 (long-term)

Statistic 26

South Korea’s “National Hydrogen Strategy” includes target of 7.76 million tons of hydrogen imports by 2030

Statistic 27

South Korea’s hydrogen station construction support requires stations to be completed within 12 months of agreement signing

Statistic 28

South Korea had 163 operational hydrogen refueling stations as of end-2023

Statistic 29

South Korea had 181 hydrogen refueling stations installed as of 2024-06 (Korea Hydrogen Industry Association dataset)

Statistic 30

South Korea had 113 hydrogen refueling stations operating by 2022-12-31 (government dataset)

Statistic 31

South Korea’s hydrogen station network grew to 155 stations by 2023-10

Statistic 32

South Korea’s 2023 “H2 View” station coverage included 243 stations planned

Statistic 33

South Korea’s hydrogen refueling stations dispensed 3,700,000 kg of hydrogen in 2023

Statistic 34

South Korea dispensed 3.0 million kg of hydrogen at public refueling stations in 2022

Statistic 35

South Korea’s hydrogen bus fleet increased to 1,900 buses by end-2023

Statistic 36

South Korea had 30,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road by end-2023

Statistic 37

South Korea registered 6,300 fuel cell vehicles in 2023

Statistic 38

South Korea had 9,000 fuel cell vehicles by end-2021

Statistic 39

South Korea’s hydrogen fuel cell car stock reached 18,000 by end-2022

Statistic 40

South Korea’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle sales in 2023 were 6,806 units

Statistic 41

South Korea had 2,400 hydrogen trucks deployed by 2024-03

Statistic 42

South Korea’s hydrogen distribution (delivery) included 62 supply points for refueling (2023)

Statistic 43

South Korea’s hydrogen storage capacity at refueling sites exceeded 3,000 tons cumulative (estimate)

Statistic 44

South Korea’s hydrogen production capacity (domestic) was about 1,000,000 tons/year in 2023

Statistic 45

South Korea had 14 hydrogen production plants (on-site SMR/other) supplying industrial demand

Statistic 46

South Korea’s LG Chem started commercialization of PEM electrolyzers with 1.25 MW capacity at Yeosu (pilot)

Statistic 47

South Korea’s SK ecoplant built a 20 MW electrolyzer project (Jeonnam) in 2023

Statistic 48

South Korea’s Hyphen Hydrogen Energy (Australia-linked) planned 1.5 GW electrolysis capacity (project)

Statistic 49

South Korea’s POSCO built a hydrogen-ready DRI (direct reduced iron) pilot with 100% hydrogen trials at Pohang in 2022

Statistic 50

South Korea’s Hanwha started operating a hydrogen production facility producing 3,000 Nm3/h (industrial)

Statistic 51

South Korea’s Hyundai NEXO fuel cell system uses a 95 kW fuel cell stack rating

Statistic 52

South Korea’s Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell (truck) has 190 kW fuel cell power output

Statistic 53

South Korea’s Toyota Mirai competitor “Hyundai NEXO” tank capacity is 6.33 kg hydrogen (as sold in Korea)

Statistic 54

South Korea’s Hydrogen Energy Network includes 3,000 kg/day equivalent capacity at major hubs (2023)

Statistic 55

South Korea’s hydrogen demand for refining and industry was 800,000 tons in 2021

Statistic 56

South Korea’s electricity generation from fuel cells reached 0.9 TWh in 2023

Statistic 57

South Korea’s fuel cell power plants connected to grid totaled 10 plants by 2023

Statistic 58

South Korea’s hydrogen blending in gas distribution reached 0.1% in 2022 trial areas

Statistic 59

Korea’s hydrogen-related research publications reached 2,345 in 2022 (SCOPUS)

Statistic 60

Korea invested KRW 7.6 trillion total in hydrogen R&D by 2022 (Korea Energy Technology Evaluation)

Statistic 61

South Korea imported 1.2 million tons of hydrogen in 2023

Statistic 62

South Korea imported 42,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas used as hydrogen carrier in 2023

Statistic 63

South Korea signed a supply agreement for up to 1 million tons of hydrogen annually from Australia project (H2 supply MoU)

Statistic 64

South Korea’s HyDeal Ambition project capacity is 6,000 MW (electrolysis) and produces green hydrogen supply

Statistic 65

South Korea’s KOGAS awarded a contract for LNG+hydrogen blending pilot supplying hydrogen at 50 tons/day

Statistic 66

South Korea’s Hyundai signed a long-term agreement to buy hydrogen from Saudi (ACWA/NEOM) for 100,000 tons/year

Statistic 67

South Korea’s SK E&S entered a green hydrogen partnership with BP for up to 1 million tons/year

Statistic 68

South Korea’s POSCO planned to import 3 million tons of hydrogen by 2030 (gas supply contract plan)

Statistic 69

South Korea’s KHNP had a hydrogen import tender capacity of 0.6 million tons/year for 2025–2030

Statistic 70

South Korea’s “Hydrogen Direct Reduction” pilot funding was KRW 1.2 trillion from government and POSCO

Statistic 71

Korea’s leading banks provided KRW 3.1 trillion in financing for hydrogen projects between 2020 and 2023 (industry report)

Statistic 72

South Korea’s Eximbank provided USD 300 million for hydrogen infrastructure financing in 2022

Statistic 73

South Korea’s trade value for hydrogen and fuel cell-related products was USD 5.6 billion in 2023 (customs data compilation)

Statistic 74

South Korea’s exports of fuel cell vehicles/parts totaled USD 1.1 billion in 2022

Statistic 75

South Korea’s public procurement for hydrogen stations amounted to KRW 1.8 trillion by 2021

Statistic 76

South Korea’s overall renewable hydrogen project pipeline (announced) exceeded 30 GW cumulative by 2024

Statistic 77

South Korea’s electrolyzer manufacturing capacity targeted 4 GW/year by 2025

Statistic 78

Korea’s fuel cell power industry market size reached KRW 5.3 trillion in 2023 (industry estimate)

Statistic 79

South Korea’s green hydrogen bus program included 1,000 buses with total budget KRW 1.5 trillion (2020–2025 plan)

Statistic 80

South Korea’s H2 station equipment imports were valued at USD 260 million in 2022 (customs)

Statistic 81

South Korea’s electrolyzer imports reached 1,500 MW in 2021 (customs)

Statistic 82

South Korea imported hydrogen-related components (compressors) worth USD 120 million in 2023

Statistic 83

South Korea’s hydrogen fund (investment vehicle) raised KRW 1 trillion in 2021

Statistic 84

Samsung SDI reported success producing fuel cell batteries materials with production yield of 90% for cathode catalyst (project milestone)

Statistic 85

Hyundai NEXO achieves 666 km (WLTP) range using 6.33 kg hydrogen

Statistic 86

The NEXO fuel cell stack output is 113 kW

Statistic 87

Hyundai NEXO peak pressure in tank is 700 bar

Statistic 88

Toyota Mirai tank capacity is 5.65 kg hydrogen and peak pressure 700 bar (benchmark; relevant tech)

Statistic 89

Typical polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer efficiency target in Korea’s demonstration projects is 60% LHV (DOE/IEA reported for PEM systems)

Statistic 90

South Korea’s government Hydrogen Technology Roadmap cites electrolyzer stack lifetime target of 60,000 hours (2021 milestone)

Statistic 91

South Korea’s hydrogen refueling station compression system typical energy consumption is 2.0–2.5 kWh/kg (reported in Korea studies)

Statistic 92

Korea’s fuel cell bus refueling time is about 3-5 minutes (reported in station performance guides)

Statistic 93

South Korea’s fuel cell vehicle energy efficiency is around 60% (tank-to-wheel) per academic review

Statistic 94

South Korea’s high-pressure hydrogen permeation barrier for liners targets <0.1% loss per year (material standard)

Statistic 95

South Korea’s NEXO powertrain uses a 95 kW fuel cell stack in some versions (spec)

Statistic 96

South Korea’s electrolyzer demonstration at Jeju targeted 1 MW and produced up to 700 Nm3/h hydrogen

Statistic 97

Korea’s hydrogen storage for refueling uses Type IV composite tanks rated 70 MPa (700 bar)

Statistic 98

South Korea’s city gas hydrogen blending trial used up to 10% H2 by volume in a pilot network (trial condition)

Statistic 99

POSCO’s hydrogen steelmaking trial aimed for 100% hydrogen at 1.3 m³/h scale in 2022

Statistic 100

Korea’s fuel cell power plant net efficiency target is 50–55% (LHV) for stationary systems per industry standards

Statistic 101

South Korea’s stationary fuel cell stack power degradation target is <2% per year for 40,000–60,000 hours (targets)

Statistic 102

South Korea’s hydrogen compressor type for 35 MPa fueling stations uses oil-free multistage reciprocating designs with efficiency 70%

Statistic 103

South Korea’s tube trailer hydrogen transport typically uses 200–400 bar and 1–2 day supply schedules (reported in logistics guidance)

Statistic 104

South Korea’s hydrogen leak detection system targets response time <1 second for refueling stations (safety specification)

Statistic 105

South Korea’s fuel cell vehicles meet durability target of 5,000 cycles or 100,000 km warranty (policy/warranty spec)

Statistic 106

Korea’s electrolysis project used 60% stack efficiency target (LHV basis)

Statistic 107

South Korea’s hydrogen refueling station target availability is 95% per year (operational requirement)

Statistic 108

South Korea’s fuel cell vehicle hydrogen consumption for NEXO is 0.95 kg/100 km (EPA/official)

Statistic 109

South Korea’s H2 pump dispensers can deliver 35 MPa at 1.5–3.0 kg/min (station spec)

Statistic 110

South Korea’s PEM electrolyzer stack power density target is 2.0 A/cm² at 1.8–2.0 V (research)

Statistic 111

South Korea’s hydrogen purification plants can achieve 99.9% purity hydrogen (industrial spec)

Statistic 112

South Korea’s ammonia-to-hydrogen cracking trial achieved hydrogen yield of 80% in a catalyst test (research)

Statistic 113

South Korea’s 2023 hydrogen production using renewables was 17,720 tons (official figure)

Statistic 114

South Korea’s total hydrogen demand in 2022 was 6.1 million tons (IEA estimate)

Statistic 115

South Korea’s hydrogen demand in 2021 was 5.6 million tons (IEA estimate)

Statistic 116

South Korea’s industrial hydrogen demand shares remain majority used for refining and chemical processes at ~70% (IEA breakdown)

Statistic 117

South Korea’s energy-related hydrogen demand is dominated by gray hydrogen produced from fossil fuels (IEA shares)

Statistic 118

South Korea had installed electrolyzer capacity of about 50 MW for green hydrogen projects by 2023 (IEA/IRENA cited)

Statistic 119

South Korea’s renewable hydrogen production output in 2023 was 17,720 tons (official)

Statistic 120

South Korea’s industrial hydrogen production capacity (domestic, including byproduct) was 1.5 million tons/year (IEA estimate)

Statistic 121

South Korea’s byproduct hydrogen production contributed about 50% of its supply (IEA)

Statistic 122

South Korea’s hydrogen import volumes were about 0.9 million tons in 2022 (IEA)

Statistic 123

South Korea’s hydrogen import volumes were about 1.0 million tons in 2023 (IEA)

Statistic 124

South Korea’s ammonia supply projects targeted conversion to hydrogen for mobility and industry (IEA report)

Statistic 125

South Korea’s hydrogen for transport accounted for about 3% of total demand in 2022 (IEA)

Statistic 126

South Korea’s hydrogen for power generation accounted for about 1% of total demand in 2022 (IEA)

Statistic 127

South Korea’s hydrogen for buildings and blending trials accounted for a negligible share (<0.1%) by 2022 (IEA)

Statistic 128

South Korea’s fuel cell vehicle hydrogen consumption in 2023 was about 60,000 tons (IEA)

Statistic 129

South Korea’s hydrogen consumption in refueling stations in 2022 was about 2.8 million kg per month average (government)

Statistic 130

South Korea’s hydrogen refueling station dispensing in 2023 totaled 3.7 million kg (government)

Statistic 131

South Korea’s renewable hydrogen share in total hydrogen supply was about 0.3% in 2023 (IEA)

Statistic 132

South Korea’s green hydrogen targets imply producing at least 1 million tons/year by 2030 (national plan)

Statistic 133

South Korea’s long-term plan for hydrogen use in steel includes up to 7 million tons by 2040 (IEA/roadmap summary)

Statistic 134

South Korea’s hydrogen for chemicals (ammonia/methanol) is projected to reach 1.5 million tons by 2030 (IEA)

Statistic 135

South Korea’s hydrogen for refining is projected to reach 2.0 million tons by 2030 (IEA)

Statistic 136

South Korea’s total hydrogen demand projected to reach 8.2 million tons by 2030 (IEA Stated Policies)

Statistic 137

South Korea’s clean hydrogen share projected to reach ~30% by 2030 in government scenario (IEA)

Statistic 138

South Korea’s hydrogen supply projects (electrolysis + imports) aim to support mobility demand of 1.5 million vehicles by 2030 (policy scenario)

Sources
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Written by Daniel Varga·Edited by Timothy Grant·Fact-checked by Rajesh Patel

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified Apr 9, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

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Korea’s hydrogen industry is surging fast, with renewable-based production jumping 46.2% to 17,720 tons in 2023 and the nation racing toward a future of fuel cell cars, power generation, and refueling networks.

Key Takeaways

  • South Korea’s hydrogen production using renewable energy increased by 46.2% to 17,720 tons in 2023
  • South Korea announced the “Hydrogen Economy Roadmap” with a target of 204,000 fuel-cell vehicles by 2022 and 1,200 hydrogen refueling stations by 2040
  • South Korea’s government set a target of 6.2 million tons of hydrogen imports by 2030
  • South Korea had 163 operational hydrogen refueling stations as of end-2023
  • South Korea had 181 hydrogen refueling stations installed as of 2024-06 (Korea Hydrogen Industry Association dataset)
  • South Korea had 113 hydrogen refueling stations operating by 2022-12-31 (government dataset)
  • Korea’s hydrogen-related research publications reached 2,345 in 2022 (SCOPUS)
  • Korea invested KRW 7.6 trillion total in hydrogen R&D by 2022 (Korea Energy Technology Evaluation)
  • South Korea imported 1.2 million tons of hydrogen in 2023
  • Samsung SDI reported success producing fuel cell batteries materials with production yield of 90% for cathode catalyst (project milestone)
  • Hyundai NEXO achieves 666 km (WLTP) range using 6.33 kg hydrogen
  • The NEXO fuel cell stack output is 113 kW
  • South Korea’s 2023 hydrogen production using renewables was 17,720 tons (official figure)
  • South Korea’s total hydrogen demand in 2022 was 6.1 million tons (IEA estimate)
  • South Korea’s hydrogen demand in 2021 was 5.6 million tons (IEA estimate)

Korea boosts renewable hydrogen, expands vehicles and stations, targets imports growth.

Policy & Targets

1South Korea’s hydrogen production using renewable energy increased by 46.2% to 17,720 tons in 2023[1]
Verified
2South Korea announced the “Hydrogen Economy Roadmap” with a target of 204,000 fuel-cell vehicles by 2022 and 1,200 hydrogen refueling stations by 2040[2]
Verified
3South Korea’s government set a target of 6.2 million tons of hydrogen imports by 2030[3]
Verified
4South Korea’s fuel cell vehicle target was 6,200 fuel-cell vehicles by 2020 (earlier roadmap)[4]
Verified
5South Korea’s hydrogen refueling station target was 1,200 stations by 2040 (Hydrogen Economy Roadmap)[4]
Verified
6South Korea’s “Hydrogen Economy Roadmap” targeted 5.3 GW of fuel cell power generation capacity by 2040[4]
Single source
7South Korea’s hydrogen commercialization plan (2019) targeted commercialization of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers with annual capacity of 1.0 GW by 2040[5]
Single source
8South Korea’s hydrogen ecosystem initiative projected cumulative public investment of KRW 22.8 trillion (about USD 19.6B at 2019 rates) through 2025 for hydrogen technologies (Hydrogen Economy Roadmap implementation plan)[6]
Directional
9South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated hydrogen policy budget for 2024 was KRW 1.0 trillion[7]
Verified
10South Korea’s 2023 hydrogen station support program allocated KRW 238.4 billion for construction/operation support[8]
Verified
11South Korea’s 2022 “Hydrogen Charging Station Construction Support” program allocated KRW 200 billion[9]
Verified
12South Korea’s 2021 fuel cell vehicle program supported purchase of up to KRW 18 million per vehicle (in subsidy amount)[10]
Verified
13South Korea’s “Act on the Development and Support of Hydrogen Energy Utilization” includes provisions for safety and support of hydrogen energy, with consolidated enforcement date 2019-01-01 (Act No. 16233, effective 2019.01.01)[11]
Verified
14South Korea’s hydrogen-related “Safety Management for Hydrogen” regulation requires leak testing for hydrogen refueling stations under certain conditions, with revision date 2020-12-30[12]
Verified
15South Korea’s “Hydrogen Energy Roadmap” (2021 update) targeted 1,000 hydrogen stations by 2025 (government plan)[13]
Verified
16South Korea targeted 15% hydrogen blending in city gas by 2030 (Policy target cited in national plan)[14]
Directional
17South Korea’s Hydrogen Energy Utilization Promotion Act amendment (2020) broadened eligibility for hydrogen mobility infrastructure subsidies[15]
Verified
18South Korea’s government set a target for renewable hydrogen production capacity of 50 MW by 2025 (per Hydrogen Economy Roadmap supporting measures)[4]
Verified
19South Korea set a target to deploy 6.5 million tons of clean hydrogen by 2040 (roadmap range)[16]
Directional
20South Korea established the “Hydrogen Safety Management Guidelines” with revision year 2021[17]
Verified
21South Korea’s Green New Deal included hydrogen as a core sector with KRW 5.5 trillion investment target (as stated in government press release)[18]
Single source
22South Korea planned to scale hydrogen fuel cell bus deployment to 2,000 by 2025[4]
Single source
23South Korea’s 2024 budget for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and charging stations included KRW 430.9 billion[19]
Verified
24South Korea announced “Hydrogen Charging Station Business Plan” requiring 24/7 operation and safety compliance for stations, effective 2023-04-01[20]
Verified
25South Korea targeted 70 GW of fuel cell generation by 2050 (long-term)[4]
Verified
26South Korea’s “National Hydrogen Strategy” includes target of 7.76 million tons of hydrogen imports by 2030[21]
Verified
27South Korea’s hydrogen station construction support requires stations to be completed within 12 months of agreement signing[22]
Directional

Policy & Targets Interpretation

South Korea’s hydrogen story is a serious sprint powered by renewable production growth, ambitious but shifting vehicle and station targets, and heavy public funding, all wrapped in increasingly detailed safety rules because turning a clean-energy breakthrough into something people can actually refuel requires both courage and bureaucracy.

Industry & Infrastructure

1South Korea had 163 operational hydrogen refueling stations as of end-2023[23]
Single source
2South Korea had 181 hydrogen refueling stations installed as of 2024-06 (Korea Hydrogen Industry Association dataset)[24]
Verified
3South Korea had 113 hydrogen refueling stations operating by 2022-12-31 (government dataset)[25]
Verified
4South Korea’s hydrogen station network grew to 155 stations by 2023-10[25]
Verified
5South Korea’s 2023 “H2 View” station coverage included 243 stations planned[26]
Verified
6South Korea’s hydrogen refueling stations dispensed 3,700,000 kg of hydrogen in 2023[27]
Single source
7South Korea dispensed 3.0 million kg of hydrogen at public refueling stations in 2022[28]
Verified
8South Korea’s hydrogen bus fleet increased to 1,900 buses by end-2023[29]
Directional
9South Korea had 30,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road by end-2023[8]
Verified
10South Korea registered 6,300 fuel cell vehicles in 2023[30]
Verified
11South Korea had 9,000 fuel cell vehicles by end-2021[31]
Verified
12South Korea’s hydrogen fuel cell car stock reached 18,000 by end-2022[8]
Single source
13South Korea’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle sales in 2023 were 6,806 units[32]
Verified
14South Korea had 2,400 hydrogen trucks deployed by 2024-03[33]
Verified
15South Korea’s hydrogen distribution (delivery) included 62 supply points for refueling (2023)[25]
Single source
16South Korea’s hydrogen storage capacity at refueling sites exceeded 3,000 tons cumulative (estimate)[34]
Single source
17South Korea’s hydrogen production capacity (domestic) was about 1,000,000 tons/year in 2023[35]
Verified
18South Korea had 14 hydrogen production plants (on-site SMR/other) supplying industrial demand[34]
Verified
19South Korea’s LG Chem started commercialization of PEM electrolyzers with 1.25 MW capacity at Yeosu (pilot)[36]
Verified
20South Korea’s SK ecoplant built a 20 MW electrolyzer project (Jeonnam) in 2023[37]
Verified
21South Korea’s Hyphen Hydrogen Energy (Australia-linked) planned 1.5 GW electrolysis capacity (project)[38]
Verified
22South Korea’s POSCO built a hydrogen-ready DRI (direct reduced iron) pilot with 100% hydrogen trials at Pohang in 2022[39]
Directional
23South Korea’s Hanwha started operating a hydrogen production facility producing 3,000 Nm3/h (industrial)[40]
Verified
24South Korea’s Hyundai NEXO fuel cell system uses a 95 kW fuel cell stack rating[41]
Verified
25South Korea’s Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell (truck) has 190 kW fuel cell power output[42]
Single source
26South Korea’s Toyota Mirai competitor “Hyundai NEXO” tank capacity is 6.33 kg hydrogen (as sold in Korea)[43]
Verified
27South Korea’s Hydrogen Energy Network includes 3,000 kg/day equivalent capacity at major hubs (2023)[44]
Verified
28South Korea’s hydrogen demand for refining and industry was 800,000 tons in 2021[45]
Single source
29South Korea’s electricity generation from fuel cells reached 0.9 TWh in 2023[46]
Verified
30South Korea’s fuel cell power plants connected to grid totaled 10 plants by 2023[47]
Single source
31South Korea’s hydrogen blending in gas distribution reached 0.1% in 2022 trial areas[48]
Verified

Industry & Infrastructure Interpretation

South Korea is quietly turning hydrogen from a futuristic pitch into a fast-expanding infrastructure reality, scaling from roughly 113 to 163 operational refueling stations by end 2023 while dispensing 3.7 million kilograms in 2023, growing its fleet to 30,000 fuel cell vehicles and 1,900 buses, and backing it with production and storage plans from about 1,000,000 tons per year of domestic capacity to over 3,000 tons cumulative onsite storage and 10 grid-connected fuel cell power plants, even as early-stage blending and electricity-from-fuel-cells show the country is still proving the ecosystem works as well as the ambition looks.

Research, Trade & Finance

1Korea’s hydrogen-related research publications reached 2,345 in 2022 (SCOPUS)[49]
Verified
2Korea invested KRW 7.6 trillion total in hydrogen R&D by 2022 (Korea Energy Technology Evaluation)[50]
Single source
3South Korea imported 1.2 million tons of hydrogen in 2023[51]
Verified
4South Korea imported 42,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas used as hydrogen carrier in 2023[51]
Verified
5South Korea signed a supply agreement for up to 1 million tons of hydrogen annually from Australia project (H2 supply MoU)[52]
Single source
6South Korea’s HyDeal Ambition project capacity is 6,000 MW (electrolysis) and produces green hydrogen supply[53]
Directional
7South Korea’s KOGAS awarded a contract for LNG+hydrogen blending pilot supplying hydrogen at 50 tons/day[54]
Verified
8South Korea’s Hyundai signed a long-term agreement to buy hydrogen from Saudi (ACWA/NEOM) for 100,000 tons/year[55]
Verified
9South Korea’s SK E&S entered a green hydrogen partnership with BP for up to 1 million tons/year[56]
Verified
10South Korea’s POSCO planned to import 3 million tons of hydrogen by 2030 (gas supply contract plan)[39]
Verified
11South Korea’s KHNP had a hydrogen import tender capacity of 0.6 million tons/year for 2025–2030[57]
Verified
12South Korea’s “Hydrogen Direct Reduction” pilot funding was KRW 1.2 trillion from government and POSCO[58]
Verified
13Korea’s leading banks provided KRW 3.1 trillion in financing for hydrogen projects between 2020 and 2023 (industry report)[32]
Verified
14South Korea’s Eximbank provided USD 300 million for hydrogen infrastructure financing in 2022[59]
Directional
15South Korea’s trade value for hydrogen and fuel cell-related products was USD 5.6 billion in 2023 (customs data compilation)[60]
Verified
16South Korea’s exports of fuel cell vehicles/parts totaled USD 1.1 billion in 2022[60]
Verified
17South Korea’s public procurement for hydrogen stations amounted to KRW 1.8 trillion by 2021[61]
Verified
18South Korea’s overall renewable hydrogen project pipeline (announced) exceeded 30 GW cumulative by 2024[62]
Verified
19South Korea’s electrolyzer manufacturing capacity targeted 4 GW/year by 2025[58]
Verified
20Korea’s fuel cell power industry market size reached KRW 5.3 trillion in 2023 (industry estimate)[63]
Verified
21South Korea’s green hydrogen bus program included 1,000 buses with total budget KRW 1.5 trillion (2020–2025 plan)[64]
Verified
22South Korea’s H2 station equipment imports were valued at USD 260 million in 2022 (customs)[65]
Directional
23South Korea’s electrolyzer imports reached 1,500 MW in 2021 (customs)[65]
Single source
24South Korea imported hydrogen-related components (compressors) worth USD 120 million in 2023[65]
Verified
25South Korea’s hydrogen fund (investment vehicle) raised KRW 1 trillion in 2021[66]
Verified

Research, Trade & Finance Interpretation

Korea is publishing, investing, importing, contracting, building, and financing hydrogen at such scale that its 2022 research output, 7.6 trillion won R and D spend, million ton supply deals, and multi trillion won station and fund activity read less like a pilot program and more like a national decision to turn hydrogen into the next energy default.

Technology & Performance

1Samsung SDI reported success producing fuel cell batteries materials with production yield of 90% for cathode catalyst (project milestone)[67]
Verified
2Hyundai NEXO achieves 666 km (WLTP) range using 6.33 kg hydrogen[68]
Verified
3The NEXO fuel cell stack output is 113 kW[69]
Directional
4Hyundai NEXO peak pressure in tank is 700 bar[70]
Verified
5Toyota Mirai tank capacity is 5.65 kg hydrogen and peak pressure 700 bar (benchmark; relevant tech)[71]
Directional
6Typical polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer efficiency target in Korea’s demonstration projects is 60% LHV (DOE/IEA reported for PEM systems)[72]
Verified
7South Korea’s government Hydrogen Technology Roadmap cites electrolyzer stack lifetime target of 60,000 hours (2021 milestone)[73]
Verified
8South Korea’s hydrogen refueling station compression system typical energy consumption is 2.0–2.5 kWh/kg (reported in Korea studies)[74]
Single source
9Korea’s fuel cell bus refueling time is about 3-5 minutes (reported in station performance guides)[75]
Verified
10South Korea’s fuel cell vehicle energy efficiency is around 60% (tank-to-wheel) per academic review[76]
Single source
11South Korea’s high-pressure hydrogen permeation barrier for liners targets <0.1% loss per year (material standard)[77]
Verified
12South Korea’s NEXO powertrain uses a 95 kW fuel cell stack in some versions (spec)[78]
Verified
13South Korea’s electrolyzer demonstration at Jeju targeted 1 MW and produced up to 700 Nm3/h hydrogen[79]
Single source
14Korea’s hydrogen storage for refueling uses Type IV composite tanks rated 70 MPa (700 bar)[77]
Verified
15South Korea’s city gas hydrogen blending trial used up to 10% H2 by volume in a pilot network (trial condition)[80]
Verified
16POSCO’s hydrogen steelmaking trial aimed for 100% hydrogen at 1.3 m³/h scale in 2022[39]
Verified
17Korea’s fuel cell power plant net efficiency target is 50–55% (LHV) for stationary systems per industry standards[34]
Verified
18South Korea’s stationary fuel cell stack power degradation target is <2% per year for 40,000–60,000 hours (targets)[81]
Verified
19South Korea’s hydrogen compressor type for 35 MPa fueling stations uses oil-free multistage reciprocating designs with efficiency 70%[82]
Verified
20South Korea’s tube trailer hydrogen transport typically uses 200–400 bar and 1–2 day supply schedules (reported in logistics guidance)[83]
Verified
21South Korea’s hydrogen leak detection system targets response time <1 second for refueling stations (safety specification)[84]
Verified
22South Korea’s fuel cell vehicles meet durability target of 5,000 cycles or 100,000 km warranty (policy/warranty spec)[85]
Directional
23Korea’s electrolysis project used 60% stack efficiency target (LHV basis)[86]
Verified
24South Korea’s hydrogen refueling station target availability is 95% per year (operational requirement)[87]
Verified
25South Korea’s fuel cell vehicle hydrogen consumption for NEXO is 0.95 kg/100 km (EPA/official)[88]
Directional
26South Korea’s H2 pump dispensers can deliver 35 MPa at 1.5–3.0 kg/min (station spec)[89]
Verified
27South Korea’s PEM electrolyzer stack power density target is 2.0 A/cm² at 1.8–2.0 V (research)[90]
Single source
28South Korea’s hydrogen purification plants can achieve 99.9% purity hydrogen (industrial spec)[91]
Verified
29South Korea’s ammonia-to-hydrogen cracking trial achieved hydrogen yield of 80% in a catalyst test (research)[92]
Directional

Technology & Performance Interpretation

From 90% cathode catalyst production yield to NEXO’s 666 km WLTP and 700 bar tanks, Korea is treating hydrogen like a hard-nosed engineering milestone set, aiming for 60% LHV electrolysis efficiency, 95% refueling-station availability, sub second leak detection, and durable fuel cells and infrastructure that can actually run day after day, not just look good in a press release.

Hydrogen Supply & Demand

1South Korea’s 2023 hydrogen production using renewables was 17,720 tons (official figure)[1]
Single source
2South Korea’s total hydrogen demand in 2022 was 6.1 million tons (IEA estimate)[93]
Verified
3South Korea’s hydrogen demand in 2021 was 5.6 million tons (IEA estimate)[94]
Verified
4South Korea’s industrial hydrogen demand shares remain majority used for refining and chemical processes at ~70% (IEA breakdown)[95]
Verified
5South Korea’s energy-related hydrogen demand is dominated by gray hydrogen produced from fossil fuels (IEA shares)[95]
Single source
6South Korea had installed electrolyzer capacity of about 50 MW for green hydrogen projects by 2023 (IEA/IRENA cited)[96]
Directional
7South Korea’s renewable hydrogen production output in 2023 was 17,720 tons (official)[1]
Verified
8South Korea’s industrial hydrogen production capacity (domestic, including byproduct) was 1.5 million tons/year (IEA estimate)[97]
Verified
9South Korea’s byproduct hydrogen production contributed about 50% of its supply (IEA)[95]
Verified
10South Korea’s hydrogen import volumes were about 0.9 million tons in 2022 (IEA)[95]
Single source
11South Korea’s hydrogen import volumes were about 1.0 million tons in 2023 (IEA)[98]
Single source
12South Korea’s ammonia supply projects targeted conversion to hydrogen for mobility and industry (IEA report)[99]
Verified
13South Korea’s hydrogen for transport accounted for about 3% of total demand in 2022 (IEA)[95]
Verified
14South Korea’s hydrogen for power generation accounted for about 1% of total demand in 2022 (IEA)[95]
Verified
15South Korea’s hydrogen for buildings and blending trials accounted for a negligible share (<0.1%) by 2022 (IEA)[95]
Verified
16South Korea’s fuel cell vehicle hydrogen consumption in 2023 was about 60,000 tons (IEA)[98]
Verified
17South Korea’s hydrogen consumption in refueling stations in 2022 was about 2.8 million kg per month average (government)[28]
Verified
18South Korea’s hydrogen refueling station dispensing in 2023 totaled 3.7 million kg (government)[27]
Directional
19South Korea’s renewable hydrogen share in total hydrogen supply was about 0.3% in 2023 (IEA)[98]
Single source
20South Korea’s green hydrogen targets imply producing at least 1 million tons/year by 2030 (national plan)[6]
Verified
21South Korea’s long-term plan for hydrogen use in steel includes up to 7 million tons by 2040 (IEA/roadmap summary)[6]
Verified
22South Korea’s hydrogen for chemicals (ammonia/methanol) is projected to reach 1.5 million tons by 2030 (IEA)[98]
Verified
23South Korea’s hydrogen for refining is projected to reach 2.0 million tons by 2030 (IEA)[95]
Verified
24South Korea’s total hydrogen demand projected to reach 8.2 million tons by 2030 (IEA Stated Policies)[34]
Verified
25South Korea’s clean hydrogen share projected to reach ~30% by 2030 in government scenario (IEA)[98]
Verified
26South Korea’s hydrogen supply projects (electrolysis + imports) aim to support mobility demand of 1.5 million vehicles by 2030 (policy scenario)[34]
Verified

Hydrogen Supply & Demand Interpretation

South Korea can already make renewable hydrogen in nice headline-sized volumes, but its 2023 hydrogen reality is still overwhelmingly fossil-fueled chemistry and refining, with only a token share for transport, power, and buildings, while electrolyzer capacity and supply plans chase a much larger 2030 clean-hydrogen ambition that will require imports, byproduct capture, and aggressive scaling just to keep up with a fast-growing mobility promise.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Korea Hydrogen Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-hydrogen-industry-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Korea Hydrogen Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/korea-hydrogen-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Korea Hydrogen Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-hydrogen-industry-statistics.

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