On Wednesday, February 13, South Korea’s top auto parts maker, Hyundai Mobis, said that it has set up a power generation system from Nexo hydrogen cars using hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen as a future energy source has been an attractive alternative that relies heavily on imported fossil fuels and is much less harmful to the environment.
Amid problems of energy intermittency being addressed over renewables, however, interests have been building on the potential role of hydrogen in driving South Korea’s de-carbonization moves. The sister company of Hyundai Mobis is the Nexo hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), where both are affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s fifth-largest automotive conglomerate.
Fuel cells don’t store energy like batteries. They only provide electrical energy while the active chemicals are supplied to the electrodes. The company is applying the specially arranged hydrogen fuel cell power generator to supply power to something other than a vehicle, Hyundai Mobis representatives said.
The company said it would use the hydrogen-to-electricity system to support power shortages. The fuel cell power generator is planned to be set up in Korea and other parts. Earlier, the automotive conglomerate said it is committed to making full use of hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Going forward will increase annual production.
Once hydrogen fuel becomes more abundant, power generators will become price competitive. And this will help to produce more fuel cells for 40,000 cars which also comes with the added benefit of providing very little noise and releasing nothing harmful into the environment.
Earlier, Hyundai said it agreed with the German company to share patents and expand their technology collaboration to secure a dominant position in the hydrogen electric vehicle market. Japan’s Honda Motor established a joint venture with GM to co-produce a fuel cell system mounted on a hydrogen electric car, and Toyota is developing a hydrogen electric vehicle platform with BMW. Daimler AG, Ford, and Nissan have signed a three-way agreement for joint development of a common fuel system.
