Hydrogen network breaks ground

Construction of New Zealand’s first high-capacity green hydrogen refuelling station has got under way in Palmerston North and is the first of four sites being developed by Hiringa Energy and Waitomo Group.

Andrew Clennett, chief executive officer of Hiringa Energy, says breaking ground at the site adjacent to Palmerston North Airport marks the beginning of one of the first refuelling networks for heavy transport in the world.

The companies say hydrogen is an important step in the transition to lower-emissions fuels, with heavy transport making up four per cent of New Zealand’s fleet but accounting for 25 per cent of all vehicle emissions.

Financial backing for the project has been provided through investment from Hiringa’s Strategic Alliance partners, Mitsui and Co (Asia-Pacific), government funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the Covid-19 Recovery Fund, and growth capital from key investors and international funders.

Jimmy Ormsby, Waitomo Group’s managing director, describes adding low-emissions alternative fuel solutions to its network as a no-brainer. 

The new station is being built next to a Waitomo Group Fuel Stop, with specialist hydrogen equipment for the facility sourced from Europe. 

Once operational, hydrogen-powered heavy transport vehicles such as trucks and buses will be able refuel at the site in a similar time to what they are currently used to.

Three more hydrogen refuelling stations are due to begin construction this year, in Hamilton, Tauriko and Auckland.

Expansion of the refuelling network into the South Island will begin in 2023, with 24 high-capacity refuelling stations due to come online across New Zealand in the next four to five years.