Hyundai Motor Group Builds First Overseas Hydrogen Fuel Cell System Production Base in China

[월간수소경제 이종수 기자] Hyundai Motor Group has built the first overseas hydrogen fuel cell system production base.

Hyundai Motor Group held a completion ceremony for ‘HTWO Guangzhou’ in Huangpu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China on the 1st.

Hyundai Motor Group built HTWO Guangzhou to preoccupy the Chinese hydrogen market, launch the global hydrogen business in earnest, and expand the hydrogen industry ecosystem.

HTWO (H2, Hydrogen+Humanity) is a hydrogen fuel cell system brand launched by Hyundai Motor Group in 2020. It contains the meaning that hydrogen for humanity, that is, hydrogen and two Hs symbolizing humanity meet to create a meaningful value beyond energy.

HTWO Guangzhou is the first hydrogen fuel cell system plant built by Hyundai Motor Group overseas. Hyundai Motor Group plans to take the lead in realizing carbon neutrality by expanding its hydrogen fuel cell system, which is recognized as the world’s best technology, as a power source for various mobility and industries.

The hydrogen fuel cell system is a kind of generator that generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between oxygen in the air and hydrogen supplied from a hydrogen tank by combining a hydrogen fuel cell stack with an air supply system, a hydrogen supply system, and a thermal management system. Of course, it can be used in various fields such as emergency power generation, electric vehicle charging, ships, trams, and urban aircraft in the future.

Hyundai Motor Group signed an MOU with the government of Guangdong Province, China in December 2019 to establish HTWO Guangzhou, and went through a year-long preparation period, including market research and site selection. Afterwards, an investment contract was signed in January 2021, and construction began in March.

HTWO Guangzhou has buildings of 82,000㎡ (about 25,000 pyeong), such as a stack factory, activation factory, research building, office building, and innovation center, on a site of 202,000㎡ (about 61,000 pyeong), and 6,500 units per year of hydrogen fuel cell systems.

Hyundai Motor Group produces and sells hydrogen fuel cell systems in HTWO Guangzhou, and plans to sequentially expand the supply volume in consideration of future Chinese market conditions and central government policies.

“HTWO Guangzhou is Hyundai Motor Group’s first overseas hydrogen fuel cell base, and it will be operated as an eco-friendly, smart, and safety-first factory,” said Hyundai Motor CEO Jang Jae-hoon at the completion ceremony. It will contribute to the development of the hydrogen industry and achievement of carbon neutrality in Guangdong Province.”

In his congratulatory speech, Li Xin, vice president of the Guangdong Provincial Government Council, said, “I believe that the completion of HTWO Guangzhou will be a new starting point for wider cooperation and development in the field of hydrogen energy in the future.” We look forward to contributing to the high-quality development of the hydrogen industry in Guangdong Province by sharing previous experiences in areas such as hydrogen products and expanding the hydrogen industry ecosystem.”

Meanwhile, HTWO Guangzhou signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City at the ceremony to supply 1,500 hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles, including hydrogen-powered trucks and hydrogen-powered vacuum cleaners, to state-owned enterprises under Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City by 2024. did.