Groundbreaking has commenced at Hyundai’s first international fuel cell system factory under construction in Guangzhou, China, Kallanish reports.

According to Hyundai, construction should be completed in the second half of 2022, when the facility will begin producing 6,500 fuel cell systems per year. Production capacity will be gradually ramped up “in line with Chinese market conditions and central government policies.”

HTWO Guangzhou will be built on a 207,000-square-metre site and include an innovation centre. The facility marks an important starting point for Hyundai’s dedicated fuel cell system brand and its ambitions to become a global provider of hydrogen fuel cell systems as power sources for different industries.

The South Korean carmaker pioneered mass production of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles with its ix35 model in 2013. Now, it offers the Hyundai NEXO SUV, XCIENT heavy-duty truck and a fuel cell electric bus.