Fuelling up green hydrogen
Coregas New Zealand is partnering with Halcyon to launch the country’s first fast refuelling station for green hydrogen.
Located at Coregas NZ’s site in Wiri, south Auckland, the facility is an integral piece of a growing network of supply locations being pioneered by Halcyon and other early adopters of hydrogen technology.
Halcyon, a joint venture between Tuaropaki Trust and Obayashi Corporation, opened New Zealand’s first production facility of green hydrogen at Mokai geothermal power plant north-west of Taupo in 2021.
It can produce 180 tonnes of green hydrogen per year using electricity generated by Tuaropaki Power Company.
Since opening the plant, Tuaropaki Trust and Obayashi identified that hydrogen refuellers need to be located as close to main trucking routes as possible, hence the location in Manukau.
And Coregas’ manufacturing and supply experience was needed the project’s technical and compliance requirements.
“Taking charge of Halcyon’s express refueller enables us to provide our expertise in managing H2 distribution while supporting the transport evolution for New Zealand,” said Peter Neate, general manager of Coregas NZ.
“The transport and trucking sector remains a largely untapped opportunity for hydrogen-fuelled heavy vehicles, which deliver a lighter, longer-distance solution combined with fast refuelling and high payload capability.
“Coregas NZ has invested heavily in hydrogen distribution and storage assets as we believe it’s important to create a supply chain supported by infrastructure to make hydrogen an attractive proposition.
“We have supported this project with key technical knowledge and compliance experience to bring it to fruition.
“We’ve also invested in a Toyota Marai that we have named H2Motuka. This is the first step in Coregas NZ moving towards adopting green-fuel options for its full fleet.”
Halcyon’s model of hydrogen hubs, including the Mokai green-energy hub, allows several customers to be supplied from one source, which keeps costs down and provides economies of scale.
“Reliable, local hydrogen supply gives our customers the confidence to invest and innovate,” says Dave Binnie, Tuaropaki Trust’s general manager of energy.
Importantly, the refueller can be relocated as customers’ needs change.
“Demand is increasing in Auckland but it’s also emerging in other places in New Zealand, so we’ve designed in the ability to respond and support new customers as they develop,” says Tatsuya Inokuchi, Obayashi Corporation’s general manager.
