Jang Jaehoon: "Large-Scale Investment in Hydrogen Production Will Continue"... Hyundai Motor Group Presents Vision at APEC

Sharing Achievements in the Hydrogen Business at the APEC CEO Summit

Hyundai Motor Group once again emphasized the strategic importance of hydrogen energy at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, where global leaders gathered. Jang Jaehoon, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group and Co-Chair of the Hydrogen Council, announced plans to continue investing in hydrogen production to further expand the hydrogen ecosystem.

On October 30, Hyundai Motor Group participated in the 'APEC CEO Summit 2025' held at the Gyeongju Arts Center, where it shared its vision and achievements in the hydrogen business, further strengthening its leadership in the global hydrogen industry.

The 'APEC CEO Summit' is a major side event of the APEC Leaders' Meeting, and is the largest business forum in the Asia-Pacific region, attended by the leaders of 21 APEC member economies and more than 1,700 global business CEOs.

This year’s forum, under the theme 'Bridge, Business, Beyond,' covered a wide range of key global topics, including hydrogen, artificial intelligence and digital technology, bio-health, finance and investment, sustainability, and regional economic integration.

At the event, Hyundai Motor Group hosted a session titled 'Hydrogen, Beyond Mobility, New Energy for Society,' where it shared the direction and current status of its hydrogen business and exchanged various opinions on accelerating the development of the hydrogen industry.

Jang Jaehoon, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. Photo by Jo Yongjun

In particular, Jang Jaehoon, who also serves as Co-Chair of the Hydrogen Council, highlighted the 'strategic importance of hydrogen in achieving carbon neutrality' during a conversation with Ivana Zmelkova, CEO of the Hydrogen Council.

Vice Chairman Jang stated, "As the global energy landscape is being reorganized around sustainable energy sources, hydrogen is emerging as a key pillar of this transformation," adding, "Hydrogen is accelerating the realization of carbon neutrality by addressing the intermittency of renewable energy and enhancing energy efficiency."

He went on to introduce Hyundai Motor Group’s 'efforts to build a hydrogen ecosystem.' Since establishing a dedicated hydrogen research and development organization in 1998, Hyundai Motor Group has maintained its global leadership in the hydrogen sector through continuous investment and research, such as the world’s first mass production of large hydrogen electric trucks and achieving the highest global sales for dedicated hydrogen electric vehicle models.

Recently, Hyundai Motor Group has been utilizing the Xcient hydrogen electric truck to transport export vehicles between the Asan Plant and Pyeongtaek Port, and is working with Incheon International Airport Corporation to promote the eco-friendly transition of commercial and special vehicles within the airport and expand hydrogen infrastructure.

Additionally, through the NorCAL ZERO project to introduce eco-friendly trucks at California ports, Hyundai Motor Group is operating 30 Xcient hydrogen electric trucks, and at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), 21 Xcient hydrogen electric trucks are being used for parts transportation, further expanding an eco-friendly and sustainable logistics system.

Vice Chairman Jang commented, "Hyundai Motor Group has made various efforts to create demand, which is the foundation for the continued growth of the hydrogen industry," and noted, "Over the past 30 years, we have achieved numerous 'firsts' and 'bests' in the hydrogen sector."

He also explained the 'future plans to expand hydrogen production.' By 2029, Hyundai Motor Group plans to develop 5-megawatt-class PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) water electrolysis mass production technology for green hydrogen production in Jeju Island, and to secure advanced green hydrogen production technology through large-scale demonstration projects.

On the morning of the same day, Hyundai Motor Group held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new hydrogen fuel cell plant in Ulsan. This Ulsan hydrogen fuel cell plant is the first domestic fuel cell production base built by Hyundai Motor Group to fully launch its hydrogen business and expand the hydrogen industry ecosystem. It is scheduled for completion in 2027 and will have the capacity to produce 30,000 fuel cell units annually.

Vice Chairman Jang stated, "The hydrogen industry requires both demand creation and supply security," adding, "Hyundai Motor Group is continuously pursuing large-scale investments related to hydrogen production to expand the hydrogen ecosystem."

Finally, he emphasized the 'need for public and private cooperation to accelerate the creation of the hydrogen ecosystem.' Vice Chairman Jang said, "The hydrogen ecosystem can only be realized through partnerships between governments and companies worldwide," and added, "Hyundai Motor Group will also take the lead in accelerating the hydrogen-based future society by collaborating with global partners."

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