Korea Gas Safety Corp.(KGS) has been pursuing its target to reduce the number of accidents from gas to the lowest in the world by 2017 through ethical management and “growth companionship management” as its foremost values.
In particular, the Gas Safety Research Institute has been working on the development of advanced gas safety technologies for KGS, its parent company, not only to prevent accidents, but also to display its global gas safety technologies so that the domestic gas industry can be competitive globally.
The research lab was set up to sooth public fear over the use of gas following a huge gas explosion at a Daegu Subway Line worksite in 1995, which rocked the nation.
The facility has been working on 10 major areas of gas accidents, and so far made contributions to preventing 83 cases of gas accidents around the country.
The lab so far has created 1.3 trillion won worth of added value and jobs for 5,600 people. The gas research lab carried out 449 research cases into gas safety technologies, leading to 105 pieces of legislation and improved systems on gas safety, in addition to the development of 237 technologies to make the use of gas safe, 39 cases of technologies for the development gas safety equipment, 117 cases of inspection technologies for gas safety and the development of equipment for the safe use of gas.
The government and KGS are determined to see that gas safety infrastructures is built continuously along with R&D activities on gas safety to ensure that the people can use gas safely without the fear of accidents.
The government will set a budget of 82.2 billion won until 2020 to develop top-level gas safety technologies on the list of the top 10 global gas safety technologies that KGS made in March, including technology that can detect gas leaks with remote sensors.
To build gas safety infrastructure, a budget of 30.6 billion won has been set aside for the construction of an energy safety test research laboratory in Yongwol, Gangwon Province, with facilities for gas fires and gas explosion clinical tests with high- and low-pressure gas, which will be only the fourth such facility in the world.
When the projected research lab in Yongwol is completed, KGS feels that the accurate cause of any gas-related fire and explosion can be determined. The facility will be equipped with 165 high-tech equipment and experimental rooms.
Experiments such as those on high pressure natural gas (CNG); hydrogen and other super high pressure products, LNG, liquefied oxygen; liquefied NO2; and others can be conducted at the research institute after it is completed. The value created by the new research institute will be as much as 100 billion won per year as it will help the industrial development, and open markets for Korean products to be produced with the technologies developed at the lab.
In Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, where the Sansu Industrial Complex is located, the Gas Safety Technology Support Center is being built at the cost of 35.4 billion won, the third such facility in the world, to be able to neutralize industrial gas and the issuance of safety certificates for electric equipment functions and for the professional education on gas for industrial use. The center will be able to generate some 350 billion won in economic effects and provide jobs for 1,500 people.
When the lab for gas safety is open next year, KGS officials said they will do their best to promote the safe use of gas and for the happiness of the people around the country.