SK Energy, a South Korean oil refiner, announced that it is partnering with state-run electric power supplier Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to construct electric vehicle charging infrastructure at traditional gas stations throughout the country.
The companies will work together to develop “energy super stations,” which will offer both refueling for internal combustion engine vehicles and EV charging, in an effort to promote the adoption of eco-friendly car charging systems.
Energy super stations are a new business model that integrate solar panel and fuel cell systems into existing gas and LPG stations to generate electricity for EV charging.
SK Energy, a subsidiary of SK Innovation, has set up demonstration facilities for distributed energy systems, such as solar panels and fuel cells, at two of its gas stations in Seoul.
The government has been promoting the use of fuel cells at gas stations through a regulatory sandbox, and SK Energy built the first “energy super station” in Seoul last year.
The company has also signed a memorandum of understanding with KHNP to collaborate on building hydrogen charging stations that use a fuel cell platform that generates electricity, hydrogen, and heat simultaneously.
