Green Hydrogen Trucks Drive Uruguay’s First Sustainable Heavy Transport Fleet

Buckle Up: Uruguay’s Hydrogen Truck Debut

Imagine heavy transport powered by nothing but water vapor—that’s exactly what’s rolling out in Uruguay. Late last year, eight Hyundai XCIENT fuel cell trucks touched down, and this month they hit the roads in Fray Bentos. It’s a real-world launch of heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles in South America, not a test run. Six of these beasts are already hauling forestry loads for Montes del Plata around the M’Bopicúa area of Río Negro, with two standing by as backups. Talk about green hydrogen trucks making a splash!

Why It Matters

For decades, diesel has been the backbone of heavy transport—and a big culprit in greenhouse emissions. Enter this Uruguay hydrogen project: tapping into a grid that’s 99% clean to churn out renewable hydrogen via solar electrolysis. No fossil fuels on the road, just harmless water vapor plumes.

Under the Hood

Here’s where the magic happens: solar-driven electrolysis splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. That hydrogen is squeezed to high pressure then piped straight to a dedicated hydrogenation station off Route 12 near kilometer 198, by La Víbora. Each Hyundai XCIENT carries high-pressure tanks and a fuel cell stack that turns hydrogen into electricity on the fly. These trucks deliver roughly 700 km of range per fill and can top up in about 15–20 minutes—just like refueling a diesel rig, so there’s no extra downtime.

Partners in Action

This isn’t just a one-off showpiece—it’s Project KAHIROS, a true consortium led by Fidocar, Fraylog and Ventus, backed by Grupo Santander. The local operator Kahirós (headed by María José González and Juan Andrés Chick) runs the trucks, while Montes del Plata integrates them into its forestry network. Meanwhile, UTEC handles the technical training, equipping local engineers and drivers to own every aspect of these hydrogen systems.

• Six trucks in action every day; two held in reserve.
• A dedicated refueling station is rising, with hydrogen sourced from solar electrolysis.
• Construction peaked at 50 workers, and a handful of specialists will keep the station humming long term.

A Broader Shift

Globally, there are only about 150 heavy-duty hydrogen trucks—and most of them are in Asia. Uruguay’s eight units represent roughly 5% of that whole fleet, making the country an unexpected pioneer. After a decade of wind and hydro investment, it now runs almost entirely on clean power. Project KAHIROS shows how heavy transport decarbonization and renewable hydrogen can fill storage gaps, support export ambitions and tackle sectors that aren’t so easy to electrify.

Looking Ahead

All eyes are on infrastructure completion. The hydrogen production plant components are en route from Europe, and project managers aim to flip the switch by year’s end. When it’s live, Uruguay will boast its first full-scale renewable hydrogen supply chain—from solar panels in the field all the way to fueled-up Hyundai XCIENT trucks. Nail this, and South America might just get a blueprint for heavy transport decarbonization that others will rush to copy.

Here’s the kicker: this isn’t just a shiny green demo—it’s living proof that green hydrogen trucks can deliver today, at scale, with real customers and a full supply chain behind them. Uruguay is placing a big bet on a future where forestry fleets leave zero tailpipe emissions in the dust. If it pays off, you can bet other nations will be lining up to get in on the action.