SK Energy, a leading South Korean oil refiner, announced on Friday that it will partner with a state-run electric power supplier to construct electric vehicle charging infrastructure at existing gas stations throughout the country.
The company will collaborate with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) to establish “energy super stations” that offer both refueling for internal combustion engine vehicles and charging for EVs, in an effort to promote the use of eco-friendly car charging systems, according to a statement released by SK Energy.
“Energy super stations” represent a new business model in which solar panels and fuel cell systems are integrated into existing gas and LPG stations to produce electricity for electric vehicle charging.
SK Energy, a subsidiary of SK Innovation Co., has installed these facilities at two of its gas stations in Seoul, with special government approval for the demonstration of distributed energy systems, including photovoltaic and fuel cell technologies.
The government is providing support for the development of energy super stations through a regulatory sandbox for fuel cell installation at gas stations.
SK Energy constructed the first such station in a district in Seoul in early 2020. Additionally, SK Energy and KHNP have agreed to collaborate on building hydrogen charging stations using a tri-gen fuel cell platform that can generate electricity, hydrogen, and heat simultaneously.
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