Hyundai Motor Company inks MoU with Guangzhou, Ulsan cities to propel hydrogen industry cooperation

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On November 25, Hyundai Motor Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with local government of China's Guangzhou city and South Korea's Ulsan city on promoting the cooperation in hydrogen industry.

The partnership aims to establish an effective mechanism for hydrogen energy collaboration, leveraging Guangzhou and Ulsan's roles as leading cities in hydrogen development alongside Hyundai Motor's expertise in advancing the global transition to a hydrogen-based society.

At the signing ceremony, Hyundai Motor Company CEO Jaehoon Chang stated, "Hyundai Motor's first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicle has been produced at our Ulsan factory. Together with Ulsan, we have been advancing hydrogen infrastructure and promoting diverse hydrogen mobility solutions to build a world-class hydrogen city."

Photo credit: Hyundai Motor Company

Under the MoU, Hyundai Motor, Guangzhou, and Ulsan will jointly promote diverse hydrogen industry initiatives, including organizing hydrogen energy exchanges and seminars, sharing exemplary practices, and exploring collaboration models. The parties will also identify pilot projects covering the full hydrogen lifecycle—production, distribution, and application—and conduct joint R&D initiatives to enhance hydrogen technology competitiveness. A regular liaison mechanism will be established to ensure the realization of substantive cooperative outcomes.

Hyundai Motor plans to utilize this collaboration framework to actively support hydrogen projects in Guangzhou and Ulsan, consolidating the two cities' leadership as pioneers in the hydrogen energy sector. Notably, Ulsan aims to deploy a variety of hydrogen mobility solutions envisioned in its development plans in Guangzhou.

To accelerate its global hydrogen strategy and establish a foothold in China's hydrogen market, Hyundai Motor launched its first overseas hydrogen fuel cell system production base, HTWO Guangzhou, in 2023. Located in Guangzhou's Huangpu District, HTWO Guangzhou has already deployed nearly 500 sets of hydrogen fuel cell system in vehicles such as 4.5-tonne logistics trucks and sanitation vehicles. The facility plans to provide over 1,000-set systems by 2025, further strengthening Hyundai's leadership in Guangdong Province's hydrogen sector.

On November 12 this year, Hyundai Motor and Ulsan had also signed an agreement to enhance the hydrogen value chain. This includes a demonstration project for hydrogen-powered tractor-trailers set to launch by 2025, as well as expanding hydrogen applications to ships, trams, power generation, and forklifts in South Korea.