Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) announced the opening of HTWO ENERGY Cheongju, its first Group-operated integrated waste-to-hydrogen (W2H) production and refueling facility, establishing a localized hydrogen production ecosystem within the city.
The facility represents a breakthrough for HTWO’s W2H business, transforming regional waste streams into hydrogen, reducing supply chain costs over traditional hydrogen sourced from distant coastal areas.
Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) announced the opening of HTWO ENERGY Cheongju, its first Group-operated integrated waste-to-hydrogen (W2H) production and refueling facility, establishing a localized hydrogen production ecosystem within the city.
The facility represents a breakthrough for HTWO’s W2H business, transforming regional waste streams into hydrogen, reducing supply chain costs over traditional hydrogen sourced from distant coastal areas.
HTWO ENERGY Cheongju integrates multiple components of the hydrogen value chain within a single facility, including:
- Biogas Upgrading: Purification systems that remove impurities such as hydrogen sulfide and moisture from biogas to produce high-quality biomethane
- Hydrogen Production: Hydrogen extraction facilities that generate hydrogen through the reaction of biomethane and steam
- Carbon Capture and Utilization: Liquefied carbon dioxide production facilities that capture and purify carbon dioxide generated during hydrogen production for industrial reuse
- Compression: High- and low-pressure compressors that compress hydrogen to the required pressure levels for storage and distribution
- Storage: High- and low-pressure storage vessels that enable stable hydrogen storage and supply
- Refueling: Hydrogen refueling facilities that deliver stored hydrogen to fuel cell electric vehicles
The facility will produce approximately 500 kilograms of hydrogen daily. This is sufficient to fuel around 100 all-new NEXO FCEVs or 30 hydrogen fuel cell electric buses.
Beyond hydrogen production and refueling operations, HTWO ENERGY Cheongju also serves as a platform for hydrogen education and public engagement. The second floor of the office building features the Hydrogen Academy, a dedicated exhibition space for HTWO, the Group’s hydrogen brand and business platform, showcasing W2H process and hydrogen ecosystem applications.
The Group plans significant capacity expansion aligned with Cheongju’s organic waste infrastructure development. By 2030, the Group intends to scale HTWO ENERGY Cheongju’s hydrogen production capacity from its initial 500 kilograms per day to two metric tons per day. By enabling localized hydrogen production and use, the facility is designed to support increased hydrogen self-reliance in Cheongju and surrounding areas.
HTWO ENERGY Cheongju reflects the Group’s broader strategy to develop locally adapted W2H ecosystems around the world. Building on this approach, the Group is developing W2H business in Indonesia and Hong Kong, enabling each region to establish customized, W2H ecosystems suited to local environmental conditions, waste streams and energy infrastructure.
In Hong Kong, the Group’s W2H project, announced in May 2026, utilizes landfill gas to produce hydrogen for tourism buses and airport shuttle services. In Indonesia, a similar initiative announced in 2025 is currently under development and is intended to convert biogas from landfill into hydrogen, with insights from the project potentially informing future W2H initiatives in ASEAN markets.
Moving forward, the Group will continue to develop tailored hydrogen ecosystems globally, advancing W2H solutions and supporting the transition towards hydrogen ecosystem. Supporting this vision, HTWO delivers end-to-end solutions across the hydrogen value chain — from upstream to downstream — integrating the Group’s extensive capabilities as an open platform for collaboration, partnership, and investment.