Hyundai Rotem Advances Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure Business Through 'Localization of Key Components'

Aerial View of Hyundai Rotem Dangjin Hydrogen Shipping Center

[Photo by Hyundai Rotem]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Hyundai Rotem is steadily succeeding in the localization of key components, accelerating the advancement of the hydrogen refueling infrastructure business.

On the 10th, Hyundai Rotem announced that it has completed the localization of heat exchangers, raising the localization rate of hydrogen extractors to 80%, and plans to localize all components except consumable materials such as catalysts by March next year. A hydrogen extractor is a device that extracts hydrogen from natural gas.

In particular, Hyundai Rotem stated that it has already completed the localization of the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) vessel. PSA plays an important role in filtering impurities from the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen extractor to extract high-purity hydrogen.

Hyundai Rotem is collaborating with about 35 domestic partner companies by applying domestically produced core components of hydrogen extractors, including PSA, blowers, and compressors, creating over 1,500 jobs in Korea.

Hyundai Rotem plans to promote the localization of key equipment with high import dependency in hydrogen refueling station construction, such as compressors that compress hydrogen at high pressure and dispensers that inject hydrogen into vehicles, in addition to hydrogen extractors.

Hyundai Rotem plans to produce the necessary equipment for future hydrogen refueling station construction with its own technology, including developing independent models of dispensers and compressors by next year.

Hyundai Rotem expects that once the localization of hydrogen extractors, compressors, and dispensers is completed, it will be able to reduce costs by more than 15% compared to foreign products.

In May, Hyundai Rotem secured orders for three hydrogen extractors in Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do, and Samcheok, Gangwon-do, and in June, it won the Dangjin Hydrogen Shipping Center project promoted by HyNet (Hydrogen Energy Network), marking the start of its business.

Furthermore, in July, Hyundai Rotem began constructing a factory on the Uiwang research center site capable of producing 20 hydrogen extractors annually, securing stable production capacity.

Leveraging the orders for the hydrogen shipping center and the establishment of the Uiwang hydrogen extractor factory, Hyundai Rotem plans to participate in bids for hydrogen extractors and hydrogen refueling infrastructure projects worth about 250 billion KRW from local governments and the private sector next year.

A Hyundai Rotem official said, "The domestic hydrogen refueling infrastructure industry is in the early stages of market formation, with most parts imported. By localizing hydrogen refueling equipment technology, we will provide integrated solutions from design, construction, to maintenance at affordable costs, and establish a win-win structure between large corporations and SMEs through localization."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.