Coregas NZ is proud to be a project partner to Halcyon, for the Halcyon Green Hydrogen launch of New Zealand’s first green hydrogen fast refuelling station at Wiri, South Auckland.
Located on Coregas NZ’s Manukau site, the heavy vehicle hydrogen refuelling station is an integral piece of a growing nationwide network of supply locations being pioneered by Halcyon and other early adopters of hydrogen technology.
Halcyon, a joint venture between Tūaropaki Trust and Obayashi Corporation, opened New Zealand’s first green hydrogen production facility at the Mōkai geothermal power plant northwest of Taupō in 2021. The plant can produce 180 tonnes of green hydrogen per year using electricity generated by Tūaropaki Power Company which provides low-carbon credential traceability. Since opening the green hydrogen plant, Tūaropaki Trust and Obayashi identified that hydrogen refuellers need to be located as close to main trucking routes as possible, hence the refueller’s location in Manukau.
Further to being the site location for the refueller, Coregas’ manufacturing and supply experience was critical to the project’s technical and compliance requirements and Coregas NZ drew on insight and experience from Australia’s recent launch of H2Station, Australia’s first hydrogen refuelling station for heavy vehicles, to meet Halcyon’s requirements.
“Taking charge of Halcyon’s express refueller enables us to provide our expertise in managing H2 distribution while supporting the transport evolution for New Zealand,” said Peter Neate, General Manager at Coregas NZ. “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.”
“Coregas NZ has invested heavily into hydrogen distribution and storage assets, as we believe it’s important to create a supply chain supported by infrastructure to make hydrogen an attractive proposition to the industry. We have supported this project with key technical knowledge and compliance experience to bring it to fruition. In addition, we have also invested in a Toyota Marai that we have named H2Motuka. This is the first step in Coregas NZ moving towards adopting green fuel options for its full fleet.”
Halcyon’s model of hydrogen hubs, including the Mōkai green energy hub, allows several customers to be supplied from one source, which keeps costs down and provides economies of scale. “Reliable, local hydrogen supply gives our customers the confidence to invest and innovate,” said Dave Binnie, Tūaropaki Trust’s General Manager Energy.
Importantly, the refueller can be relocated as customer needs change. “Demand is increasing in Auckland but it’s also emerging in other places in New Zealand so we’ve designed in the ability to respond and support new customers as they develop,” said Obayashi Corporation’s General Manager Tatsuya Inokuchi.
The venture between Tūaropaki and Obaysahi and their common interests in geothermal power generation showed the value of combining renewable energy and hydrogen. “This is a great example of what can be achieved by private enterprise, expertise and international collaboration ahead of effective mechanisms in NZ which acknowledge the true value of green hydrogen while also reflecting the true environmental cost of high carbon fuels such as diesel,” said Inokuchi.