Australia’s first commercial hydrogen refuelling station for zero emissions heavy road vehicles has opened it Port Kembla, New South Wales.
The facility was purpose-built for commercial heavy road transport vehicles and will enable the deployment of Australia’s first prime mover fleet of hydrogen-powered heavy road vehicles.
This will initiate a transformation of the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region’s environmental transport footprint and will work to support the introduction of zero emissions hydrogen-powered fleet vehicles in greater NSW.
According to the NSW Government, the H2 station will be the first practical piece towards de-carbonising the region’s 7,000 heavy vehicles.
“The H2 Station will facilitate the introduction of zero emissions hydrogen powered trucks to the Illawarra-Shoalhaven to demonstrate the technology’s potential to improve energy security, create jobs and investment, and decarbonise the transport sector,” said Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast, Ryan Park.
“Zero emissions trucks will be able to refuel at the Coregas refuelling station using hydrogen produced at Port Kembla and showcase the viability of introducing hydrogen-powered fleet vehicles to greater NSW.”
The H2 Station, based at the Coregas Port Kembla industrial gas facility, was partly funded with a $500,000 grant from the NSW Government.
Coregas Executive General Manager, Alan Watkins, said the H2 Station will provide the Illawarra region with the opportunity to refuel up to ten zero emissions hydrogen vehicles a day.
“Thanks to the NSW Government we have been able to achieve this milestone of opening Australia’s first pilot hydrogen refuelling station for heavy vehicles,” he said.
“We believe this project is a game changer for Australia that will lead the clean mobility revolution by demonstrating the suitability of hydrogen powered vehicles as a commercially ready solution.
“For us, this is an important first step towards transitioning Coregas’ distribution fleet.”