The group held a high-level dialogue on hydrogen strategy at the summit on October 30
Hyundai Motor Group held a high-level dialogue on hydrogen strategy at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit Korea 2025 on October 30. The Group's vice chair and Hydrogen Council co-chair, Jaehoon Chang, joined Hydrogen Council CEO, Ivana Jemelkova, to discuss the current state of the hydrogen industry and its role in growth across the Asia-Pacific region
The theme of the APEC CEO Summit was "Bridge, Business and Beyond", bringing together global leaders to address issues including regional integration, sustainability, and digital transformation.
In a session led by Chang, "Hydrogen, Beyond Mobility, New Energy for Society", hydrogen's role in achieving carbon neutrality and energy resilience was highlighted, calling for coordinated efforts to increase adoption.
Chang said, “Hydrogen accelerates carbon neutrality by addressing the intermittency of renewables and enhancing energy resilience. Hydrogen also stands out as a strategic energy carrier, enabling localised generation and distribution systems, such as off-grid and microgrid ecosystems, that reduce reliance on centralised grids and strengthen communities’ self-sufficiency.”
During the session, Chang and Jemelkova shared insights on the Global Hydrogen Compass 2025, outlining the shift from ambition to delivery, with USD 110 billion in committed capital across 510 projects that have undergone past financial investment decisions globally.
Chang also emphasised that long-term collaboration between governments and industry is vital to transforming early efforts and innovations into scalable outcomes across the hydrogen value chain.
Jemelkova said, “Since 2020, global capital commitments to clean hydrogen have grown ten times, a remarkable trajectory. Our next big test is demand, which requires clear, practical and stable policies and strong public-private collaboration. At the Hydrogen Council, the largest and only CEO-led global business initiative on clean hydrogen, we are proud to work closely with Hyundai Motor Group in their capacity of Council Co-chair to mobilise key players at this pivotal moment and keep moving hydrogen forward.”
The Group established how it is translating global momentum into action, leading efforts to drive demand and ensure supply across the hydrogen value chain. The Group is investing in waste-to-hydrogen and polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis technologies to scale up hydrogen generation.
The PEM electrolysis, 1MW-class projects are taking place in Buan and Boryeong, and a 5MW-class system is being prepared in Jeju. The Jeju project aims to establish a comprehensive green hydrogen ecosystem, from developing mass-production technology for PEM electrolysis to advancing hydrogen mobility applications.
At the APEC CEO Summit, the Group's Hyundai Motor Company held a ceremony for a new fuel cell production plant in Ulsan, which is set to further advance localised key components and strengthen Korea's hydrogen manufacturing base.
The Group is also advancing demand creation via hydrogen-powered logistics operations in Ulsan and Pyeongtaek, Korea, and has deployed mobility at Incheon International Airport in Korea. It has deployed port and logistics initiatives globally, including the NorCAL Zero Project in California and HTWO Logistics in the state of Georgia. The Group also plans to expand hydrogen infrastructure in Australia, collaborating with the New South Wales government to build hydrogen refuelling stations and deploy its XCIENT fuel cell trucks, a mass-produced and heavy-duty fuel cell truck.
Chang said, “We believe creating demand and securing supply must go hand in hand. That’s why Hyundai is taking bold steps to lead on both fronts. Building a hydrogen ecosystem is something no single company can do alone; it requires collective effort.”
