Just a few months after the news it would deliver hydrogen-powered road trains to Townsville and prime movers to Coregas in NSW, Hyzon Motors has announced it’s setting up a permanent manufacturing base here.
Melbourne will be the Australian home of the Nasdaq-listed producer of hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles under a new partnership agreement with the RACV.
Under the agreement, Hyzon in conjunction with the RACV at their Noble Park location, will develop a purpose-built facility including corporate offices, showroom, assembly warehousing and workshop, expected to generate over a 100 localised engineering and manufacturing jobs by 2025, with hundreds more indirect jobs expected through the supply chain.
The partnership also includes a first order of hydrogen powered vehicles for RACV owned subsidiary Nationwide Group, the first order of this type for a towing company in Australia. These will be trialled by Nationwide Group on arrival which is scheduled for end 2022.
Hyzon Motors, which is headquartered in Rochester, New York, is expected to deliver three locally-manufactured Hyzon HyMax TT7 tilt-tray trucks and one of Hyzon’s fully imported HyMax prime movers, to the Nationwide Group.
Hyzon has already hit the ground running in the region, with scheduled 2022 deliveries that include prime movers to Coregas in NSW and TR Group in New Zealand, road train prime movers to Ark Energy in Queensland and the HyMax GSL garbage trucks with Superior Pak across the region.
Managing director for Hyzon Motors in Australia and New Zealand John Edgley said today’s announcement was exciting news not just for the local economy, but for Australia’s energy transition aspirations and the manufacturing jobs of the future.
“We are focused on generating new jobs, new manufacturing and technology facilities, and a fundamentally new industry in Australia and New Zealand, that will underpin a sustainable future for the region,” Edgley said.
“With governments across Australia and New Zealand shifting their focus towards hydrogen as a cost- competitive and zero-emission fuel source, Hyzon stands ready to support and partner on key projects and initiatives.
“The opportunity to partner and work with the RACV, a trusted brand, across the home, motoring, mobility, energy and leisure sectors is an exciting prospect for our business.”
Nationwide Group chief executive officer Michael Stephenson said the business was excited to be exploring how hydrogen can play a part in the future of road transport in Australia.
“Nationwide is keen to assess the performance of these vehicles in a real-world test for towing and transport and is thrilled to be part of this new industry leading partnership,” Stephenson said.