Air Liquide and Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) have expanded their strategic partnership to accelerate the growth of the global hydrogen economy. The renewal of their memorandum of understanding (MoU) was announced at the Hydrogen Council CEO Summit, held from December 2 to 4 in Seoul. It 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, South Korea and the United States, with specific emphasis on heavy-duty transport, logistics and public transportation. By combining HMG’s leadership in mobility innovation and Air Liquide’s technical expertise, the partners will contribute to the development of a sustainable energy landscape and the achievement of carbon neutrality.

Armelle Levieux, member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee, notably supervising Hydrogen activities, said: “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Hyundai Motor Group. Collaborations like this between leading companies across the value chain are essential to building the hydrogen economy. The progress we have made in South Korea highlights what is concretely possible when industry leaders work together for a more sustainable future.”

Ken Ramirez, Head of Energy & Hydrogen Business Division at Hyundai Motor Group, stated: “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.”

Building a global hydrogen ecosystem. Through their strengthened collaboration, Air Liquide and Hyundai Motor Group will establish key hubs in Europe, South Korea and the 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.

The  partnership has already delivered tangible results in South Korea, setting a strong foundation for future growth. 

Key achievements in this territory include:

• Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) commercialization: To date, Hyundai has deployed more than 2,000 hydrogen buses and 37,000 passenger FCEVs, with plans to scale further by the end of 2026.
• Refueling network expansion: The companies have collaborated on advanced hydrogen refueling stations through Hynet and Kohygen, where both the Group and HMG 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.

Promoting global momentum 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. Air Liquide and Hyundai Motor Group will work together to drive international cooperation, industry standardization and policy advocacy to accelerate the global hydrogen ecosystem’s expansion. With this mission,  they reaffirm their commitment to expanding hydrogen’s role in the global energy transition and decarbonization efforts. 

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