Hyundai Motor·Kia Join Hands with Advent Technologies to Develop "Ultra-High-Temperature Hydrogen Fuel Cells"

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia have joined hands with Advent Technologies, a producer of MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly), a core component of high-temperature fuel cells, to popularize the hydrogen society.

On the 22nd (local time), Hyundai Motor Company and Kia announced that they signed a joint development agreement with Advent at Advent's headquarters in Boston, USA, to develop MEA for ultra-high-temperature hydrogen fuel cells. Advent is a US-based specialized material manufacturer for hydrogen fuel cells, possessing the highest technological expertise in the production of MEA for high-temperature fuel cells.

This agreement aims to secure core technologies for MEA and stacks for ultra-high-temperature hydrogen fuel cells by the end of 2024. Ultra-high-temperature fuel cell systems, which operate normally at up to 200℃, are more stable and cost-effective compared to low-temperature fuel cells that operate below 100℃.

As fuel cells are expected to be used as next-generation eco-friendly power sources for large mobility means such as aircraft and ships in the future, hydrogen fuel cell technology that operates even at ultra-high temperatures is anticipated to further accelerate the expansion of eco-friendly mobility.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia signed a joint development agreement with Advent Technologies on the 22nd (local time) at Advent's headquarters in Boston, USA, to develop MEA for ultra-high-temperature fuel cells. Pictured are Hong Seung-hyun (left), Executive Director and Head of the Basic Materials Research Center at Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, and Jim Cope, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Advent Technologies. Photo by Hyundai Motor Company

Moreover, currently commercialized low-temperature hydrogen fuel cells require humidifiers that supply a large amount of moisture based on expensive platinum catalysts. In contrast, ultra-high-temperature fuel cells can operate with relatively small amounts of catalysts and do not require separate humidification devices, enabling system simplification.

In this joint development, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia will supply Advent with ion-conducting materials and catalysts developed in-house. Advent will utilize these to support the production of MEA and process technologies necessary for operating ultra-high-temperature fuel cells. The produced materials will undergo cross-verification of performance at each development stage.

Seunghyun Hong, Executive Director of the Basic Materials Research Center at Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, said, "We will strive to develop core materials for ultra-high-temperature fuel cells based on the know-how and material technologies of both companies' fuel cells with the goal of decarbonization. This will demonstrate Hyundai Motor Company and Kia's expertise in material technology and serve as a key to applying fuel cell technology more broadly in high-temperature applications through the development of top-level high-temperature fuel cells."

Vasilis Gregoriou, CEO of Advent Technologies, emphasized, "Through this collaboration, we aim to support Hyundai Motor Company and Kia's future mobility strategy realization, accelerate the transition to sustainable energy, and realize a cleaner and more efficient future. We will contribute to Hyundai Motor Company and Kia's goal of building innovative high-performance fuel cell solutions that will have a significant impact on greenhouse gas reduction."

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