Headed by Kim Woo-sik, deputy prime minister and science and technology minister, a team of 16 science-related ministers met Thursday and decided to run 14 fuel-cell cars next year on a trial basis.

To achieve that goal, the government will spend 13.6 billion won ($14.6 million) next year alone.

The country's top carmaker, Hyundai Motor, and its subcontractors in charge of developing the experimental hydrogen vehicles also plan to invest the same amount in 2007.

``Hyundai Motor has already developed five fuel-cell powered cars and nine more will be added next year for the test,'' said Lim Kwang-hun, a director at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy.

``In 2008, 20 additional fuel-cell vehicles will be rolled out to check the viability of the futuristic automobiles, which have an exponential potential,'' Lim said.

Early next year, the fuel-cell cars will undergo tests mostly in Inchon and Taejon where hydrogen filling stations are established before going to other areas. Construction of the hydrogen stations is now underway in Seoul and Yongin, Kyonggi Province.

The fuel-cell powered automobile creates power by converting hydrogen and oxygen to electricity to operate the car instead of gasoline.

The world's main carmakers are competing to develop efficient fuel-cell powered cars in recognition of their advantages: hydrogen is readily available, non-toxic and nonpolluting.

Hydrogen, when combined with oxygen, produces water as a sole byproduct, unlike the burning of fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases.

Also, while fossil fuels are available in a limited quantity in a limited number of countries, hydrogen is abundant in the universe and on Earth.

``The United States and Japan, which have advanced technologies to crank out vehicles, have gone all-out to come up with efficient hydrogen cars,'' Lim said.

``We also seek to position ourselves to capture the lucrative hydrogen vehicle market, which will blossom in about a decade both locally and globally, by building competitive hydrogen cars,'' he said.