Hyundai Motor Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Ulsan Hydrogen Fuel Cell Plant: "Expanding the Hydrogen Ecosystem"

On the 30th, Hyundai Motor held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new hydrogen fuel cell factory at the Ulsan plant site.

The event was attended by over 250 key figures and stakeholders, including Jang Jaehoon, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group; Jose Munoz, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor; Lee Dongsuk, President in charge of domestic production; Kim Sungwhan, Minister of Climate Energy and Environment; Kim Doogeom, Mayor of Ulsan Metropolitan City; and National Assembly members Kim Gihyeon, Park Seongmin, and Yoon Jongho.

Also present were domestic and international hydrogen industry leaders, such as Ivana Jemelkova, CEO of the Hydrogen Council, who visited Korea for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Event; Choo Hyungwook, CEO of SK Innovation; Lee Youngjun, Head of Chemical Division at Lotte Group; and Heo Seong, CEO of Kolon Industries.

Participants viewed a range of hydrogen mobility solutions utilizing fuel cells, including the hydrogen electric vehicle "The All-New Nexo," hydrogen trucks, hydrogen excavators, hydrogen ships, hydrogen tractors, and hydrogen forklifts, all displayed at the venue. In particular, the PEM electrolyzer, developed with domestic technology by Hyundai Motor and unveiled for the first time at this event, drew significant attention from attendees.

Additionally, Hyundai Motor and domestic bus manufacturer KGM Commercial signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the supply of hydrogen fuel cells, aiming to expand the domestic hydrogen bus market and promote eco-friendly mobility.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the new hydrogen fuel cell factory held on the 30th at Hyundai Motor's Ulsan plant, (from the front row, right) Jose Munoz, President of Hyundai Motor Company, Jang Jaehoon, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, Kim Doogeom, Mayor of Ulsan, and Kim Seonghwan, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, are listening to an official's explanation. Provided by Hyundai Motor Group

The new Ulsan hydrogen fuel cell factory will be a three-story building with a total floor area of 95,374 square meters (approximately 30,000 pyeong), and is set to become Korea's first production base for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers. Targeting completion in 2027, the facility will integrate both "chemical processing" for raw material treatment and "assembly processing" for finished parts, enabling an annual production capacity of 30,000 fuel cell units. Hyundai Motor is investing 930 billion won in the construction of the new factory.

The new hydrogen fuel cell factory will produce next-generation hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers suitable for hydrogen mobility. A hydrogen fuel cell is a type of generator that produces electricity through an electrochemical reaction between oxygen from the air and hydrogen supplied from a tank. The next-generation cells produced at the new factory are expected to offer improved output and durability compared to existing models, while also enhancing cost competitiveness.

The PEM electrolyzer is a device that uses the reverse reaction of a hydrogen fuel cell to produce high-purity clean hydrogen from water. The 1 MW container-type electrolyzer, built in February and currently undergoing demonstration operation in Gwangju, produces more than 300 kg of high-purity hydrogen daily-enough to charge over 50 Nexo vehicles. A 5 MW plant-type electrolyzer system, leveraging the group's capabilities, is also under development.

Vice Chairman Jang stated, "The new hydrogen fuel cell factory is a strategic base that embodies Hyundai Motor Group's commitment to transitioning to a hydrogen society. We will work together to expand the global hydrogen ecosystem by securing growth engines for the national economy and supplying fuel cells to companies in various sectors, including shipbuilding and construction equipment."

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