According to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and the National RD&D Organization for Hydrogen & Fuel Cell on Tuesday, GS Caltex Corporation got approval from Seodaemun-gu Office earlier this year and has been constructing since March a hydrogen fueling station at Yonsei University in Seoul.

The station is currently being tested ahead of its completion date scheduled for the middle of next month.

The country's first hydrogen fueling station opened in August last year at the Korea Institute of Energy Research in Daejeon. The station at Yonsei University will be the first located in the center of the city.

The opening of the Seoul hydrogen station should provide momentum for Hyundai Motor and local researchers that are developing cars designed to run on hydrogen fuel cells.

The refilling station is being built with support from MOCIE, the Korea Energy Management Corporation and the National RD&D Organization for Hydrogen & Fuel Cell.

At the station, hydrogen is produced from naphtha and stored in a high-pressure chamber that can dispense it into cars. Currently, there are 26 hydrogen fuel stations for research and everyday use in the U.S., 11 each in Germany and Japan, and six in Canada.