Hyundai Motor, Landfill Site Management Corp. collaborate on biogas production

By Kim Hyun-bin

Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) and Landfill Site Management Corp. signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on eco-friendly hydrogen production technology in Seoul, Tuesday.

HMG is moving towards clean hydrogen production by using biogas generated from food waste treatment processes. Biogas is a gas mixture consisting of methane and carbon dioxide produced by the decomposition of organic matter in an oxygen-deprived environment.

"We plan to advance as a global carbon neutrality leader by developing high-value-added technologies such as renewable synthetic fuels and environmentally friendly plastic internal materials," Hong Seung-hyun head of Materials Research & Engineering Center at Hyundai Motor Group said.

Among the attendees at the ceremony were Vice President Hong Seung-hyun, Park Koo-yong, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Head of Technology Research Center, and Youm Kyung-seop at Landfill Site Management Corp.

The agreement aims to establish a system capable of producing 216 kilograms of environmentally friendly hydrogen daily using biogas produced by the corporation over the next two years. This amount of hydrogen is sufficient to charge more than 34 Hyundai's hydrogen fuel cell electric NEXO vehicles.

Biogas, primarily composed of methane, is generated through the fermentation of food waste. Following purification and reforming processes, it becomes possible to produce high-purity clean hydrogen. The recent attention to circular hydrogen production technology is due to its ability to produce environmentally friendly energy sources using waste materials.

Under this agreement, Hyundai Motor and Kia will establish an integrated system for catalytic reaction processes, Hyundai Engineering & Construction will develop gas selection and separation technology for hydrogen production, and Landfill Site Management Corp. will research biogas preprocessing technology and provide research sites and facilities related to biogas, a raw material for hydrogen production.

Furthermore, Hyundai Motor Group aims to enhance its capacity for environmentally friendly hydrogen production and also plans to research the production of synthetic e-fuels. The idea is to apply the additional renewable synthetic fuels obtained during hydrogen production to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.