Minister Kwon

South Korea will demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell-powered industrial equipment including forklifts and unmanned loaders at a regulation-free industrial complex in the southern port of Ulsan.

The new industrial machines have the potential of increasing work efficiency at logistics warehouses and indoor facilities, according to a report in Aju Business Daily.

Ulsan was selected as South Korea's testing ground for hydrogen-powered mobility services in 2019. The port city produces about 820,000 T of hydrogen annually. Companies and research organisations are operating research centres and testing grounds for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and other equipment that uses fuel cells as the main source of power.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups says it will work with Ulsan City to demonstrate four fuel cell-powered forklifts and one unmanned loader, which are small enough to be operated inside logistics warehouses and indoor working environments.

A mobile hydrogen charging station is under development.

"Through the demonstration, we expect the commercialisation of fuel cell-powered indoor loading equipment to be accelerated as work efficiency and inconveniences at workplaces will be improved greatly," says minister Kwon Chil-Seung.