Hyundai Motor Company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sharjah-based BEEAH Group to conduct a trial run of the first hydrogen truck in UAE.

The trial run of Hyundai’s XCIENT fuel cell truck will be conducted in Sharjah and Dubai under real usage conditions with plans to replace traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) truck fleets later, the companies said in a joint statement.

They further plan to include strategic collaboration in various areas, such as developing a hydrogen value chain and demonstrating hydrogen-based mobility business.

BEEAH operates a fleet of over 2,000 waste collection vehicles, including electric vehicles.

The model used for the UAE demonstration project will be a 6x2 cargo truck equipped with two 90 kW hydrogen fuel cell systems and a 350 kW e-motor. Its gross combination weight is a maximum of 42,000 kg and offers a driving range of over 400 km per charge even when fully loaded.

Leading up to COP28 in 2023, the UAE established the “National Hydrogen Strategy 2050” to position itself as a producer and supplier of hydrogen by 2031.

As part of this strategy, the UAE forecasted that low-carbon hydrogen demand would reach 2.7 million tons per year by 2031, with hydrogen mobility being one of the off-takers of this demand.

(Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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