Construction of the country's first green hydrogen refuelling station in Palmerston North is starting this week.
An artist's impression of the Hiringa Energy's green hydrogen fuelling stations, which will support hydrogen-powered trucks. Photo:
It is the first of four hydrogen refuelling stations being developed by energy companies Hiringa Energy and Waitomo Group.
The two companies said they were building New Zealand's first nationwide network of hydrogen refuelling, with the first station adjacent to Palmerston North Airport.
More than $50 million has been invested in the first phase of the project for four stations, and both companies said detailed engineering and compliance work had been completed.
Resource consent has been granted for another station in Hamilton, and the companies have applied for consent for sites in Tauriko and Auckland.
Both companies are aiming to expand the network into the South Island beginning next year, and hope to have 24 high-capacity refuelling stations across the country in the next four to five years.
Hiringa said it had financial backing through its partners Mitsui and Co, government funding, the Covid-19 recovery fund and growth capital from other investors.
Waitomo is self-funding its investment. Its managing director Jimmy Ormsby said breaking ground at the first station would mark a major milestone.
"What began as a discussion between two innovative, future-focused Kiwi companies about developing hydrogen on our existing and new Waitomo Fuel Stops, is now becoming a reality for future Kiwi generations," he said.
Hiringa chief executive Andrew Clennett said it was one of the first refuelling networks for heavy transport in the world.
He said heavy transport accounted for more than a quarter of New Zealand's total vehicle emissions, despite making up only 4 percent of vehicles.
"Green hydrogen is the key technology that will allow these fleets to stay on the road. It is a mass-market, clean energy solution that can have a real impact on reducing our transport emissions," Clennett said.
An initial fleet of 20 zero-emission Hyzon hydrogen powered trucks has been purchased by the truck rental company TR Group, with the trucks capable of travelling more than 600km between refuelling.
Waitomo and Hiringa said Hyundai New Zealand was importing five hydrogen fuel-cell heavy-duty trucks.