HOGREENAIR Co., Ltd. Breaks Ground for Fuel Cell Production Plant in Gwangju Free Economic Zone

Aims for completion by June next year... Invests 15 billion KRW in 100 kW fuel cell production

Gwangju City, the British Embassy in Korea, IE Corp, and HOGREENAIR sign a cooperation agreement for the formation of the hydrogen industry ecosystem

Key role expected in creating Gwangju's eco-friendly energy and hydrogen industry ecosystem

Fuel cell specialist company HOGREENAIR held a groundbreaking ceremony on the 30th for the establishment of a factory at the Gwangju Free Economic Zone's Energy Valley (Smart Energy Industry Complex). The ceremony marks the company's move towards becoming a core company in the hydrogen industry sector.

The event was attended by Hong Sung-ho, CEO of HOGREENAIR, Members of the National Assembly Lee Yong-bin and Yun Young-deok, Gwangju City Council members Im Mi-ran and Lee Myung-no, Gwangju Free Economic Zone Director Kim Jin-cheol, Tony Clampson, Minister-Counsellor at the British Embassy, and David Woolhouse, CEO of Intelligent Energy (IE), as well as domestic and international customers and partner company representatives such as Wisebly Labs in the UK and LS Electric.

HOGREENAIR started as a drone specialist company in Gwangju. In October 2021, the company gained recognition for successfully controlling a drone in Silicon Valley, USA, from Gwangju, 9,042 km away. Since then, it has grown into a company acknowledged for its high technical capabilities. Following the development of hydrogen drones, HOGREENAIR partnered with IE, a global leader in the fuel cell sector, and expanded its business overseas by establishing a branch in Japan in 2020, following the distribution agreement in 2020.

HOGREENAIR plans to invest 15 billion KRW in the construction of the factory in Energy Valley, Gwangju, aiming for groundbreaking in December and completion by June next year. The investment will cover the production of 100 kW fuel cells, as well as the production of fuel cells for drones, aviation, vehicles, ships, and other mobility fields.

Alongside this, the company will focus on commercializing fuel cell systems for small and medium-sized hydrogen power plants. The goal is to enhance the efficiency and safety of fuel cells and focus on the development of liquid hydrogen for further improvements.

In addition to the groundbreaking ceremony, Gwangju City, the British Embassy in Korea, IE Corp, and HOGREENAIR signed a 'Business Cooperation Agreement for the Formation of the Hydrogen Industry Ecosystem by the British Government and Gwangju City.' The agreement aims to facilitate mutual cooperation for the development of the hydrogen fuel cell industry in Gwangju and the formation of an ecosystem in the field.

Hong Sung-ho, CEO of HOGREENAIR, expressed the company's vision and aspirations, stating, "Through clean energy, we will create a better life and a blue future where everyone is at the center."

Kim Jin-cheol, Director of the Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority, expressed his satisfaction with the fuel cell industry specialist company, which has become a core in one of Gwangju's 11 representative industries, the hydrogen industry. He pledged to attract more related companies and do his best to support investment attraction and support for tenant companies to contribute to the development and ecosystem building of Gwangju's hydrogen industry.