Energy Carrier for a
Sustainable Future, Hydrogen

Hydrogen is highly reactive and exists in nature not as a free element but bound to other atoms in compounds like water (H2O), ammonia (NH3), and methane (CH4). Therefore, a process to separate and extract hydrogen from these compounds is necessary. Hydrogen can be produced primarily through the electrolysis of water. It can also be produced from various resources, including fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as organic waste such as food waste, sewage sludge, and livestock manure.

Unlike resources like petroleum or natural gas, which are confined to specific regions, hydrogen can be produced anywhere provided the technology is available.

Hydrogen fuel cells emit only water during the process of converting hydrogen into energy. Hydrogen vehicles, which generate electricity through the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, also emit only water as a byproduct, emitting no carbon dioxide, fine dust, nitrogen oxides, or other pollutants. They also act as air purifiers on the road, filtering fine dust through their intake systems during operation.

Hydrogen is categorized as gray hydrogen, blue hydrogen, green hydrogen, or pink hydrogen based on the energy source used in its production process and whether carbon emissions occur.

- Gray Hydrogen: Hydrogen produced with carbon emissions during production. Primarily refers to hydrogen obtained from fossil fuels like natural gas or oil. Carbon emissions are unavoidable during production, but it is the cheapest method and remains the most widely used today.

- Blue Hydrogen: Hydrogen produced using carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology, which collects carbon emitted during gray hydrogen production instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. Efforts to minimize carbon emissions during production involve storing and utilizing the captured carbon separately. It is also called 'transitional hydrogen' during the shift to carbon neutrality.

- Green Hydrogen: Refers to clean hydrogen produced without any carbon emissions during production. Hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy is a prime example. It is also the ultimate eco-friendly hydrogen, with zero carbon dioxide emissions during production.

- Pink Hydrogen: Hydrogen obtained by electrolysis of water using electricity and steam produced at nuclear power plants. It is environmentally friendly with minimal carbon emissions during production and is gaining attention as nuclear power provides a stable supply source that can compensate for the variability issues of renewable energy.

While hydrogen is categorized by these colors, what matters most is its practical utilization rather than its color. Using hydrogen produced through diverse methods together expands the market. This process drives continuous advancement in production technology and reduces costs. Gradually growing the market in this way can accelerate the transition to clean hydrogen.

The perception that hydrogen is dangerous is a misconception. Hydrogen's self-ignition temperature (585°C) is more than twice that of gasoline (247°C), making the possibility of spontaneous explosion extremely low. Furthermore, as the lightest element in the universe (fourteen times lighter than air), it disperses rapidly into the air upon leakage. Being a non-toxic gas, it poses almost no risk of suffocation or poisoning.

The misconception that hydrogen is dangerous likely stems from hydrogen bombs. However, the hydrogen used in hydrogen bombs has been artificially altered in structure and is completely different from the natural hydrogen used in common fuels.

Hydrogen, which accounts for 75% of the universe's mass, can be produced from various resources we encounter daily. If a society utilizing this hydrogen becomes fully realized, our world will become cleaner, safer, more sustainable, and fairer.

Renewable energy will be stored as hydrogen, then used to heat household water and supply electricity to offices. On the way to work, cars, buses, and trucks will be running on the roads, emitting clean water vapor instead of carbon dioxide or nitrogen oxides. Port cranes and ships will also quietly run on hydrogen, and factories will produce steel using hydrogen instead of coal.

But that's not all. Energy, once solely dependent on imports, will shift to clean energy produced on our own soil, gradually narrowing the global energy wealth gap. The emerging hydrogen industry will expand the ecosystem, becoming the driving force of a new cycle that fuels national economic growth and job creation.

In this great energy transition, hydrogen—recognized as a key to a sustainable future—will transform not just our daily lives, but industry and the world itself.

Korea possesses world-class competitiveness in hydrogen electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell systems. Hyundai Motor Group has been at the forefront of hydrogen technology innovation for nearly 30 years, starting with hydrogen fuel cell research and development in 1998.

In 2013, it launched the world's first mass-produced hydrogen vehicle. The NEXO, a dedicated hydrogen model launched in 2018, has sold over 40,000 units cumulatively, maintaining its position as the global leader in hydrogen vehicle sales. With the launch of Korea's first hydrogen fuel cell tram in 2023, The all-new NEXO in 2025, and the new XCIENT Fuel Cell, Hyundai Motor Group is continuously expanding its mobility lineup utilizing hydrogen fuel cell systems.

Hyundai is building a comprehensive hydrogen ecosystem across the entire industry, expanding beyond mobility to encompass hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization. South Korea's production rate for hydrogen fuel cell components has already reached approximately 90%. Through collaborative growth with dozens of nationwide partners and over 100 hydrogen-related companies, Hyundai is strengthening national industrial competitiveness.

Furthermore, the PEM water electrolyzer developed by Hyundai shares approximately 85% of its key components and systems with the proven hydrogen fuel cell systems used in the NEXO and XCIENT Fuel Cell. The expansion of hydrogen vehicle adoption will directly lead to securing competitiveness for the Korea's water electrolysis industry.