HD Hyundai Oilbank has developed South Korea's first engine oil designed exclusively for hydrogen engines and begun supplying it to commercial vehicle makers, moving into the market for lubricants used in hydrogen mobility.
HD Hyundai Oilbank (267250.KS) said on the 11th that it recently delivered Xteer H2-ICE, an engine oil made specifically for hydrogen internal combustion engines, to hydrogen commercial vehicle makers including Tata Daewoo.
The company began developing lubricant technology for hydrogen engines in 2023. It completed product development using its own proprietary technology and finished performance testing last year.
Hydrogen internal combustion engines burn at higher temperatures than conventional engines. The moisture generated during combustion can also cause engine wear and degrade oil performance.
To address these characteristics, HD Hyundai Oilbank independently developed three core technologies: engine protection, moisture control, and suppression of deposits during combustion.
Alongside electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen internal combustion engines are drawing attention as an eco-friendly power source that could replace diesel engines in commercial vehicles and heavy transport equipment. Because they can use existing internal combustion engine production infrastructure and offer shorter refueling times, their use is expected to expand in the global commercial vehicle market.
"Through our own research and development, we have secured lubricant technology dedicated to hydrogen internal combustion engines and reached the commercialization stage," an HD Hyundai Oilbank official said. "We will continue to expand high-value-added lubrication solutions aimed at the global market and respond proactively to changes in the future mobility market."
Meanwhile, HD Hyundai is accelerating development of hydrogen engines and related technologies, including announcing plans through HD Hyundai Construction Equipment to mass-produce hydrogen engines for trucks.
