The Kahirós Project will use green hydrogen from a 4.8 MW solar park and electrolysis plant to power Hyundai’s XCIENT fleet in timber logistics
Hyundai Motor has deployed eight XCIENT Fuel Cell Class-8 heavy-duty trucks in Uruguay as part of the Kahirós Project, marking South America’s first operational hydrogen fuel cell truck fleet. The initiative aims to decarbonise timber logistics in Uruguay using green hydrogen produced from renewable sources, with full operations planned to begin in November 2026.
The Kahirós Project is led by a joint venture of Uruguayan firms Ventus, Fraylog and Fidocar, backed by a US$40m investment from Santander Group with support from the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank and the United Nations’ Renewable Energy Innovation Fund. The project includes a 4.8 MW solar park and an electrolysis plant capable of producing 77 tonnes of green hydrogen annually. During regular operations, the six primary trucks are expected to cover nearly one million kilometres per year, with two additional units held in reserve.
Each XCIENT Fuel Cell truck produces 180 kW from two 90 kW fuel cell stacks, with a 350 kW electric motor delivering 2,237 Nm of torque and a range of up to 720 km under optimal conditions. Hydrogen is stored across ten tanks with a combined capacity of 68 kg, supplemented by a 72 kW/h battery pack.
The Uruguay deployment extends Hyundai’s XCIENT operations beyond its existing 165-truck European fleet, which has accumulated more than 20 million kilometres since 2020, and 63 trucks in North America surpassing 1.6 million kilometres since 2023.
“We will help decarbonize a critical part of the paper production value chain and demonstrate to the world that we can take action for a better future starting now,” said Airton Cousseau, President and Chief Executive of Hyundai Motor Brazil and Hyundai Motor Central and South America Region.
Source: Hyundai
