From left: Mick Fitzpatrick, CEO of WHC; Peter Branham, chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama; Lee Seung-won, head of Hyundai Engineering’s energy plant business division; Lee Kyung-eun, consul general of South Korea in Houston; and Christopher Whitehead, chief administrative officer of Hyundai Mobis Alabama, pose for a photo at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hillsboro Solar Power Plant held in Hill County, Texas, on Tuesday. (Hyundai Engineering) Hyundai Engineering said Thursday it had broken ground on the Hillsboro Solar Power Plant in Texas, marking its first overseas renewable energy development project managed from start to finish.The groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday in Hill County, Texas, with executives from Hyundai Engineering, Hyundai Motor Group affiliates and local EPC contractors in attendance. Participants included Lee Seung-won, head of Hyundai Engineering’s energy plant business division; Peter Branham, chief operating officer of Hyundai Mobis Alabama; and Christopher Whitehead, chief administrative officer of Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.The project is a milestone for Hyundai Engineering as the company led the entire development process, including securing permits, signing power purchase agreements and arranging project financing.Hyundai Engineering secured $310 million in financing from four institutions, including the Industrial Bank of Korea.The 200-megawatt solar power plant is scheduled to begin commercial operations in December 2027 and is expected to generate about 476 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually.The company has accelerated its expansion into renewable and next-generation energy businesses as demand for low-carbon energy infrastructure grows.Hyundai Engineering completed the Saemangeum onshore solar project in 2021 and was selected as a strategic partner for a 1-gigawatt solar power project in Serbia in 2024.Beyond solar energy, the company has expanded into nuclear and hydrogen projects. It participated in the Missouri University Research Reactor project and established a water electrolysis-based hydrogen production facility in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province.“This project demonstrates our capabilities as an energy developer with expertise across the entire project cycle, from development and financing to operations,” a Hyundai Engineering official said.“We will continue expanding next-generation energy projects in North America and Europe to strengthen our global competitiveness.”