Green hydrogen company Hiringa Energy has officially launched what it’s calling Australasia’s first zero-emissions green hydrogen refuelling network.
Established in partnership with New Zealand’s leading independent fuel supplier, Waitomo Group, and TR Group, Australasia’s largest heavy vehicle fleet owner, the network aims to service 95 per cent of the heavy feight routes across the North Island, and will act as a blueprint for other Australian projects.
Brendan King, group general manager, TR Group Ltd said it’s been exciting to enable this groundbreaking initiative by bringing fuel cell truck technology to the NZ market.
“The technology unlocks a clean alternative for hard-to-abate sectors that are difficult to electrify, where hydrogen meets the intense demands of handling long distances and heavy loads,” King said.
The refuelling stations are powered by clean, renewable energy and equipped with state-of-the-art technology, enabling hydrogen-powered heavy transport vehicles such as trucks and buses to refuel with green hydrogen in 10 to 20 minutes.
“The initiative addresses this major challenge by providing operators with the infrastructure they need to switch to zero-emission transport in an efficient, scalable and commercially viable manner,” said Australian-born Hiringa CEO Andrew Clennett.
Cathy Clennett, head of commercial and corporate development at Hiringa Energy, said the refuelling network will help grow Australia’s green hydrogen industry.
“Regional Australia relies heavily on a functional and affordable freight sector,” she said.
“Almost 80 per cent of non-bulk domestic freight in Australia is carried by trucks. Application of low-carbon hydrogen within hard-to-abate industries will bring about a greater balance of economic, environmental and social benefits to all Australians given the significant contribution of these sectors to Australia’s emissions footprint.”
A Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell NZ Post truck was used in the NZ trial and deployed on commercial operations since 2023.
It successfully completed more than 70,000km, eliminating the need for an estimated 29,700 litres of diesel which represents 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, and purifying the air around the vehicle at the same time.
NZ Post CEO David Walsh said that while it has been a success seeing their hydrogen truck demonstrating this technology and travelling over 350kms a day (using slower mobile refuelling) having the heavy-duty refuelling network in place will be instrumental in enabling NZ Post to use this hydrogen truck on longer distances.
With rapid refuelling now available this will allow us to operate the hydrogen truck seven days a week, 24 hours a day, with zero emissions. We’re thrilled to see this national network come together,” Walsh said.
Meannwhile, Coregas, which opened Australia’s first hydrogen refuelling station for heavy vehicles at Port Kembla in NSW, late last year, also opened a green hydrogen “fast refuelling” station at Wiri, South Auckland this week.
The site is seen as an “integral piece” of a growing nationwide network of supply locations being pioneered by Halcyon and other early adopters of hydrogen technology across the ditch.
“The transport and trucking sector in New Zealand 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,” said Peter Neate, Coregas NZ GM.