Hyundai Motor Co.’s Xcient hydrogen fuel cell truck will be used in a green logistics project in Uruguay.
Hyundai said it recently supplied eight Xcient hydrogen fuel cell trucks in Uruguay for the “Kairos Project.”
Set to begin full operations in the second half of 2026, the private-sector partnership aims to cut carbon emissions from timber logistics. The project is being carried out in Uruguay by the Kairos consortium.
The plan centers on introducing hydrogen trucks into transport and producing green hydrogen directly using solar power to reduce long-term emissions from timber hauling.
Hyundai Motor Group said it has completed construction of a 4.8-megawatt solar power plant. It added that electrolysis equipment and a hydrogen refueling station, capable of producing 77 tons of hydrogen a year, are under construction.
The project is valued at $40 million (about 60 billion won). Three Uruguayan companies formed a consortium for the effort, and Spain’s largest bank, Santander, is participating as a key investor with support from the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corp. and the U.N. Renewable Energy Innovation Fund, Hyundai said.
Under the arrangement, renewable energy company Ventus will handle hydrogen production and operate the refueling station. Timber logistics company Fraylog will oversee overall logistics operations. Fidocar, Hyundai’s sales agent in Uruguay, will manage imports, permits and maintenance for the trucks.
The Xcient hydrogen fuel cell truck is a 37.2-ton gross vehicle weight tractor model. It is equipped with a 180-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell system and a drive motor with a maximum output of 350 kW.
With 10 hydrogen tanks, it can store a total of 68 kilograms of hydrogen and travel up to 720 kilometers on a single fill, Hyundai said.
Once operations begin, six of the eight trucks will be deployed first for timber transport, with total annual mileage expected to reach about 1 million kilometers. The remaining two trucks will be added later as transport services expand, the company said.
Hyundai said the project is significant because it will be the first case of hydrogen fuel cell trucks being operated for commercial purposes in Latin America.
A Hyundai official said the company was “very pleased” that the Xcient hydrogen fuel cell truck is expanding its presence in the hydrogen ecosystem to Latin America, following Europe and North America. The official said Hyundai will continue efforts to decarbonize key parts of the transport value chain and pursue a clean, sustainable future.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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