To contribute to the development of a sustainable hydrogen environment on the South Korean resort island of Jeju, Hyundai Motor Company has pledged to deliver 1,700 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles by the year 2030.

By the year 2026, Jeju hopes to have a massive green hydrogen manufacturing facility up and running. The company says it is collaborating with the Trade Ministry, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and Korea Southern Power Co. to make it possible to run hydrogen-powered vehicles on the island.

There is no infrastructure in place to support hydrogen fuel cell cars at this time, hence Jeju does not have any.

The construction of this infrastructure will enable the automaker to ship to Jeju a fleet of hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles including 200 garbage trucks, 300 public buses, and 1,200 passenger vehicles. The Nexo, Hyundai Motor’s flagship hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, will be able to be charged at portable hydrogen fueling stations beginning in the new year.

Officials have stated that the strategy is meant to help South Korea transition to a hydrogen economy.

The prime minister-led Hydrogen Economy Committee unveiled their first steps toward establishing a hydrogen economy in the country in the previous year. Local conglomerates have since announced a 50 trillion won investment in hydrogen by 2030. This includes Hyundai Motor and SK Group.

Carbon dioxide is not released during the production of green hydrogen, also known as electrolysis hydrogen, which is produced using renewable power sources like solar or wind power.

Because an electric current separates water into hydrogen and oxygen, “green hydrogen” is the most environmentally benign kind of hydrogen.