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| ▲ Bottles of urea solution arrive at a filling station in Busan, 280 kilometers south of Seoul, on Nov. 11, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo, provided by the Air Force on Nov. 11, 2021, shows a tanker transport plane unloading 27,000 liters of urea solution imported from Australia. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
urea solution-stockpile
S. Korea says it can secure 5-month stockpile of urea solution amid supply shortage
SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Friday it can secure a total of a five-month stockpile of urea solution for vehicles through more imports amid a supply shortage of the key fluid needed in diesel cars to cut emissions.
The government said it plans to additionally import urea and its solution from Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and other nations.
The latest move will help enable South Korea to secure a more than five-month stockpile, doubling the current two-and-a half month inventory, according to the government.
South Korea has been grappling with a shortage of urea solution, as China tightened exports of urea in October amid a power crisis caused by a coal supply shortage. Coal is the main feedstock to produce urea.
The government is ramping up diplomatic efforts to import the material to avert a potential logistics crisis as any prolonged shortage could suspend the operation of freight trucks and other essential vehicles.
Currently, the amount of planned imports of urea and its solution reached 82.8 million liters. South Korea needs 600,000 liters of urea solution per day.
South Korea said 97.6 percent of its urea imports came from China in the first nine months of this year, up from 88 percent in 2020, underscoring its heavy reliance on the resource-rich neighbor for the key material.
China has recently said it will go ahead with inspection processes on 18,700 tons of urea before exporting it to South Korea. Of them, inspections of 10,600 tons of urea have been completed, according to the finance ministry.
A South Korean tanker transport plane carrying 27,000 liters of urea solution arrived here Thursday from Australia.
Of them, the government will supply some 4,500 liters to civilian ambulances.
The country has also begun producing 2 million liters of urea solution with 700 tons of urea uncovered through a crackdown on hoarding. Such fluid will be provided to buses, freight and garbage trucks.
Last year, South Korea imported 80,000 tons of urea, an amount sufficient to produce around 240 million liters of urea solution for diesel cars.
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