Hyundai Motor Solidifies Global Hydrogen Leadership Beyond the Auto Industry

Hyundai Motor Exports Hydrogen Fuel Cell System to Europe
First Case of Exporting Core Hydrogen Component, Not Complete Vehicle
Applied in Various Fields Including Ships, Aviation, and Power Generation
Foundation for Strengthening Hyundai's Global Hydrogen Leadership

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Hyundai Motor Company's first export of hydrogen fuel cell systems holds great significance as it expands the scope of hydrogen business beyond the complete vehicle industry into non-automotive sectors. It is evaluated as a step forward in realizing a true hydrogen society by utilizing hydrogen energy across all industrial sectors, including ships, trains, aviation, and power plants.

This export is Hyundai's first case of exporting hydrogen fuel cell systems to non-automotive sectors and proceeded after the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's approval for exporting national core technology in July. Additionally, since the export took place shortly after the European Union (EU) Commission's announcement of the hydrogen economy strategy in the same month, it is expected to be an opportunity to showcase Korea's hydrogen energy technology to the environmentally friendly advanced market of Europe.

Until now, Hyundai's hydrogen energy export business, mainly focused on complete vehicles such as hydrogen electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and large trucks, is expected to expand into various fields in the non-automotive sector, including ships, trains, urban aviation, buildings, and power plants.

The hydrogen fuel cell system Hyundai exported on this day is a signal flare. This system is a 95 kW-class fuel cell system installed in the hydrogen electric vehicle Nexo. The Swiss hydrogen storage technology company GRZ Technologies, which imported this system, and a European energy solution startup plan to manufacture emergency power supply and eco-friendly mobile generators using the hydrogen fuel cell system.

Hyundai Motor Company's Hydrogen Fuel Cell System

This export is expected to further strengthen Hyundai's global leadership in hydrogen. Hyundai is already leading hydrogen-related technology in the complete vehicle sector, and last year, Hyundai Motor Group's Executive Vice Chairman Euisun Chung was inaugurated as co-chairman of the Hydrogen Council, playing a leading role in realizing a global hydrogen society.

Hyundai first launched the world's first mass-produced hydrogen electric vehicle, the Tucson ix FCEV, in 2013, followed by the second-generation hydrogen electric vehicle Nexo introduced in 2018, which sold 4,987 units worldwide last year, ranking first in hydrogen electric vehicle sales, and is breaking its own sales records this year as well.

In July, Hyundai succeeded in mass-producing the world's first 30-ton hydrogen electric large truck and exported the initial quantity, planning to supply 1,000 hydrogen electric trucks to the European market by 2023. Additionally, last month, Hyundai accelerated technology development in hydrogen production and storage by signing a cooperation agreement for hydrogen production technology development with the Australian national research institute Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Fortescue, the world's fourth-largest iron ore producer.

Sehun Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai's Fuel Cell Business Division, said, "This export is a case that proves the diverse applicability and business scalability of Hyundai's fuel cell system," adding, "We plan to actively respond to the government's Green New Deal policy through this export while continuously seeking business diversification to secure future energy leadership."