Hyzon Motors has signed a vehicle supply agreement with Australian industrial gases company Coregas to deliver two hydrogen fuel cell trucks.
The Hyzon Hymax-450 prime movers should be delivered in the first half of 2022 and are expected to be the first hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles to operate in Australia.
The vehicles should be immediately deployed upon arrival from Hyzon’s manufacturing facility in the Netherlands, replacing Coregas’ existing diesel fleet and transporting speciality gases, including hydrogen, to Coregas customers in Sydney and wider New South Wales.
The project aims to deliver emissions reductions of 50% in comparison with trucks currently in use.
Coregas, a Wesfarmers company, is a leader in industrial gases with a 40-year history in the generation and distribution of industrial gases, including operating Australia’s largest merchant hydrogen plant in Port Kembla, which supplies customers across various sectors including manufacturing and mobility.
It’s actively pursuing hydrogen as an energy source through participation in projects aimed at accelerating the energy transition across Australia.
Coregas is also in the process of developing Australia’s first commercial vehicle hydrogen refuelling station at its Port Kembla facility to support both the Hyzon hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles and the refuelling of trucks and buses operators by third parties.
The project represents a strategic first step in developing a broader hydrogen ecosystem and Port Kembla and Illawarra-Shoalhaven are earmarked to be an “epicentre of the emerging hydrogen sector”, the companies say.
Hyzon and Coregas say they are engaging with companies operating in and around the port on the opportunity to transition to hydrogen and decarbonise the heavy vehicle fleet. Currently, around 7000 trucks travel between the region and Sydney each day.
The New South Wales Government has recently announced a $70 million package to support the establishment of hydrogen hubs in the state, with Port Kembla identified as a priority location given its deep-water port, electricity and gas infrastructure, water recycling plant, road and rail connections, research and development presence, and sizeable heavy-duty vehicle fleet.
“Hyzon is proud to partner with Coregas in our shared effort to decarbonize Australia’s heavy trucking industry,” Hyzon chief executive and co-founder Craig Knight says.
“This partnership reflects two truths about the energy transition: first, that the technology is ready to be deployed now; second, that collaborative efforts are integral in accelerating this shift. We are excited to work with Coregas to introduce hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks to Australia,” he says.
Coregas executive general manager Alan Watkins says his team is working hard to apply its expertise in hydrogen distribution, compression and storage to Australia’s transition to a hydrogen economy.
“Transforming the transport sector is a critical piece of the puzzle, and we are delighted to partner with Hyzon to operate these vehicles out of our Hydrogen refueling station in Port Kembla,” Watkins says.
