Hyundai leads global push with USD 110 billion hydrogen investments at APEC Summit Korea 2025

At the APEC CEO Summit Korea 2025, held in Seoul under the theme “Bridge, Business and Beyond,” Hyundai Motor Group took a prominent role in advancing the global hydrogen agenda, illustrating the growing significance of hydrogen as a cornerstone for sustainable energy and industrial decarbonisation. The session titled “Hydrogen, Beyond Mobility, New Energy for Society” gathered more than 200 leaders from government and industry, underscoring hydrogen’s expanding role beyond transport into broader energy and industrial sectors.

Hyundai, along with the Hydrogen Council, debuted the Global Hydrogen Compass 2025, revealing a staggering USD 110 billion committed to 510 hydrogen projects worldwide, an investment figure nearly ten times that reported in 2020. This financial surge is driving growth across green hydrogen production, high-pressure storage, and hydrogen distribution systems, signaling a maturation of the hydrogen economy with the potential to create hundreds of thousands of jobs by 2030. However, industry analysts and summit participants emphasize that technology and finance advances must be matched by robust policy frameworks and public-private collaboration to truly realise market-scale adoption.

One of the summit’s standout moments was the demonstration of hydrogen mobility in action, with the event uniquely powered entirely by hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, including 50 Hyundai NEXO SUVs and six hydrogen-powered UNIVERSE buses. These vehicles, operating with fuel cell stacks that generate electricity from hydrogen and emit only water vapor, reflect Hyundai’s nearly 30-year leadership in hydrogen technology. Featuring quick refuelling and a driving range exceeding 600 km, the NEXO exemplifies the viability of hydrogen fuel cells for zero-emission transport across passengers and logistics, further cementing hydrogen’s credibility alongside battery electric vehicles.

Hyundai Motor Group’s commitment to hydrogen innovation extends beyond mobility. The company is investing heavily in waste-to-hydrogen and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis technologies, with current projects in South Korea’s Buan, Boryeong, and Jeju regions. Of particular note is the ambitious plan for a five-megawatt PEM electrolyser facility on Jeju Island by 2029, leveraging renewable energy to produce green hydrogen at scale. This aligns with global mega projects in Australia and Saudi Arabia aiming for gigawatt-scale electrolysis capacity by 2030, reflecting a critical shift from grey to green hydrogen as production costs fall and electrolyser efficiencies exceed 70%.

Complementing production efforts, Hyundai is actively expanding hydrogen infrastructure and logistics. In South Korea, initiatives include hydrogen-powered logistics hubs in Ulsan and Pyeongtaek, deployment of hydrogen mobility services at Incheon International Airport, and new hydrogen refuelling stations under construction with partners such as New South Wales government in Australia. Globally, Hyundai’s hydrogen-powered XCIENT fuel cell trucks operate in regions like California and Georgia, providing practical decarbonisation solutions for freight transport and port operations.

In a major strategic milestone, Hyundai has broken ground on a USD 654 million (930 billion won) hydrogen fuel cell factory in Ulsan, South Korea, scheduled for completion in 2027. This 43,000-square-metre plant, repurposing a former internal combustion engine transmission facility, will ramp up production capacity to 30,000 fuel cells annually. It is designed to supply fuel cells across a broad spectrum, from passenger vehicles and commercial trucks to construction equipment and marine applications, marking a decisive pivot towards sustainable, hydrogen-powered future mobility.

Beyond transport, the summit highlighted hydrogen’s wider role as an energy carrier to enhance energy resilience and support decarbonisation across industries. Hydrogen offers a pathway to store excess renewable electricity through electrolysis, stabilizing power grids, microgrids, and industrial processes. This capability is particularly vital for energy-import-dependent countries like South Korea, offering a route toward energy security and genuine carbon neutrality.

However, as Ivana Jemelkova, CEO of the Hydrogen Council, stressed during the summit, “Demand is the next big test.” Without cohesive policies, harmonised safety standards, regulatory certainty, and effective incentives, the industry’s technical and financial advances risk stagnation. Governments across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Gulf region agreed on the urgent need for long-term hydrogen roadmaps to transform pilot projects into commercial-scale deployment.

South Korea’s leadership in hydrogen was inescapable during the summit, reflecting its comprehensive national push. Despite limited fossil fuel reserves, South Korea aspires to become a hydrogen powerhouse, aiming for 6 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2025. Demonstration projects on Jeju Island using wind-powered hydrogen production and microgrids for zero-emission ferries illustrate how public and private sectors can collaboratively forge new energy pathways.

As the hydrogen industry moves from R&D towards the critical phase of commercialisation, the key challenges lie in scaling electrolysis plants, extending safe high-pressure hydrogen networks, and increasing fuel cell manufacturing. With Hyundai Motor Group at the forefront, advocating the importance of multi-sector collaboration and policy alignment, the momentum building at the APEC CEO Summit provides an optimistic signpost for hydrogen’s next decisive leap in industrial decarbonisation and energy transition. The fundamental question now is whether policymakers and investors can sustain this drive until hydrogen truly becomes a mainstream solution in the global energy landscape.