Hyundai Motor Group and Air Liquide Advance Global Partnership to Accelerate Hydrogen Ecosystem

• Hyundai Motor Group and Air Liquide reaffirm leadership in the hydrogen sector as co-chairs of the Hydrogen Council, driving global hydrogen ecosystem expansion
• Partnership focuses on building a sustainable energy ecosystem across Europe, U.S. and Korea, encompassing production, storage, transportation and utilization
• Collaboration expands beyond mobility to include infrastructure, logistics, and clean energy solutions, supporting the global energy transition
• Major milestones in Korea demonstrate the partnership’s progress in FCEV commercialization, refueling infrastructure, and hydrogen supply chain innovation

Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) and Air Liquide today announced the expansion of their strategic partnership to accelerate the growth of the global hydrogen ecosystem.

The partners announced the renewal of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Hydrogen Council CEO Summit, held from December 2 to 4 in Seoul. The partnership aims to lead to the expansion of a comprehensive hydrogen ecosystem, encompassing production, storage, transportation and utilization.

The partnership will focus on scaling up hydrogen use across key regions, including Europe, Korea and the United States, with specific emphasis on heavy-duty transport, logistics and public transportation. By combining Air Liquide’s technical expertise with the Group’s leadership in mobility innovation, both companies will contribute to the development of a sustainable energy landscape and the achievement of carbon neutrality.

“Hyundai Motor Group is proud to deepen its collaboration with Air Liquide to realize our shared vision of a hydrogen-powered future. Together, we are building a robust hydrogen value chain, from production to utilization, with the aim of making hydrogen a practical and sustainable solution for global energy challenges.” – Ken Ramirez, Head of Energy & Hydrogen Business Division at Hyundai Motor Group

“We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Hyundai Motor Group. Collaborations like this between leaders across the value chain are essential to building the hydrogen economy. The progress we’ve made in Korea highlights what’s possible when industry leaders work together for a sustainable future.” – Armelle Levieux, Vice President of Innovation, Electronics and Hydrogen at Air Liquide

Building a Global Hydrogen Ecosystem

Through their strengthened collaboration, the Group and Air Liquide will establish key hubs in Europe, Korea and U.S. to foster hydrogen ecosystem growth. The partnership’s strategic initiatives include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Developing hydrogen refueling networks and storage capacity to meet growing demand.
• Reliable Supply Chain Development: Establishing a hydrogen ecosystem covering low carbon and renewable production, transportation, distribution, and utilization across mobility and other key sectors. A core element is also the acceleration of innovation in hydrogen technologies.
• Hydrogen Mobility Deployment: Commercializing fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for diverse applications, including logistics fleets, public buses and port operations.

Milestones in South Korea: Pioneering Progress in Hydrogen Adoption

The Hyundai Motor Group-Air Liquide partnership has already delivered tangible results in South Korea, setting a strong foundation for future growth.

Key achievements in Korea include:

• FCEV Commercialization: The Group has deployed more than 2,000 hydrogen buses and 37,000 passenger FCEVs to date, with plans to scale further by 2025.
• Refueling Network Expansion: The companies have collaborated on advanced hydrogen refueling stations through Hynet and Kohygen, where both the Group and Air Liquide are shareholders. 
• Supply Chain Innovations: Air Liquide has strengthened hydrogen capabilities in South Korea with Lotte-Air Liquide Ener’Hy nation’s largest 450-bar Filling Center recently inaugurated in Daesan, offering cost-competitive solutions to support growing hydrogen demand.

Driving Global Leadership as Co-Chairs of the Hydrogen Council

The strengthened partnership also underscores the companies’ global leadership in the hydrogen industry as co-chairs of the Hydrogen Council. The Group and Air Liquide will work together to drive international cooperation, industry standardization and policy advocacy to accelerate the global hydrogen ecosystem’s expansion. As co-chairs of the Council, they reaffirmed their commitment to expanding hydrogen’s role in the global energy transition and decarbonization efforts.

The expanded partnership between the Group and Air Liquide represents a pivotal step in advancing global hydrogen adoption. By combining resources, expertise and leadership, the two companies are poised to achieve significant progress in hydrogen infrastructure, mobility and innovation, paving the way for carbon neutrality and a cleaner future.