HD Hyundai Infracore held a ceremony in honor of starting “HX12 Hydrogen Combustion Engine No. 1” in the First Research Building of its headquarters in Incheon on March 29. The HX12 Hydrogen Combustion Engine is the first hydrogen combustion engine that produces zero carbon emissions while using existing internal combustion engine parts. The hydrogen combustion engine is considered both eco-friendly and economical. The engine is expected to be mass-produced beginning from 2025. The ceremony was attended by about 30 employees, including President Cho Young-cheol and Vice President Oh Seung-hyun.
The hydrogen combustion engine is one of the three powertrains that will usher in a carbon-neutral era, along with electric batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. Its main advantage is that its components are almost the same as those of existing internal combustion engines, so the current platform can be used. Compared to vehicles with batteries or fuel cells, it is more economical.
Hyundai Infracore plans to mount hydrogen engines on commercial vehicles (large trucks and buses) and construction machinery (excavators) next year and begin its mass production in earnest from 2025 at the earliest.
Demand for hydrogen power generation through the bidding market is expected to grow as the Clean Hydrogen Production Standard (CHPS), which obligates power generation operators to use clean hydrogen, is implemented beginning from this year. Hyundai Infracore can also create future revenue sources by participating in competitions to take orders for engines for hydrogen power generation.
HD Hyundai Infracore was recently selected as the main organization for the development of hydrogen engine systems and storage and supply systems for construction machinery and commercial vehicles, a national project of the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Accordingly, the company is developing a 300 kW, 11-liter hydrogen combustion engine for the first time in Korea. It is also developing an engine that can use not only hydrogen but a mixture of hydrogen and gas as its fuel.