A fire broke out at SK Energy's Ulsan hydrogen production plant, but a repeat of the "hydrogen crisis" in 2023 is not expected. At that time, a hydrogen shortage centered on the Seoul metropolitan area occurred after Hyundai Steel, then a major hydrogen supplier, halted its hydrogen production facilities due to a malfunction.
SK Energy produces hydrogen at three plants in Ulsan. The plant where the accident occurred had halted work for routine maintenance. The other two plants are producing hydrogen.
According to the Ulsan Fire Headquarters on the 17th, at about 10:42 a.m. that day, a pipeline explosion occurred at the HP process (hydrogen production plant) inside the FCC (fluid catalytic cracking) complex at SK Energy's heavy oil cracking facility in Yongyeon-dong, Nam-gu, Ulsan. As a result, a total of five people were injured—four seriously and one with minor injuries—and are being treated at a hospital.
SK Energy believes the fire likely started when residual hydrogen gas in the plant's piping exploded during the process of opening the line. An SK Energy official said, "The flames were extinguished in just over 20 minutes. As far as we know, there is no possibility of an additional fire."
SK Energy's Ulsan complex is the largest refinery in Korea, processing 840,000 barrels of crude oil per day to produce gasoline, diesel, and kerosene. A fire also broke out at the plant in December last year, halting refinery operations for a week.
Industry officials expect no disruption to hydrogen supply and demand. In 2023, two of Hyundai Steel's three hydrogen production units in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, broke down, causing hydrogen supply disruptions at some hydrogen charging stations in the Seoul metropolitan area, the Chungcheong region, and parts of Gangwon Province.
A government official said, "Most of the hydrogen produced at the Ulsan plant is used in-house by SK Group," adding, "There is no impact on overall supply and demand."