Green hydrogen could become dominant fuel source

Green hydrogen could be a key element in a sustainable economy for the South, Murihiku Regeneration project co-ordinator Terry Nicholas says.

Mr Nicholas was among the first speakers at the University of Otago’s inaugural international New Zealand hydrogen symposium yesterday.

Murihiku Regeneration was formed by four papatipu rūnanga amid concerns the impending closure of the New Zealand Aluminium Smelters, at Tiwai Point, would create job losses that could cripple the economy, Mr Nicholas said.

The group became became involved in the Southern Green Hydrogen project — a joint venture between Meridian Energy and Contact Energy investigating the use of renewable energy at Tiwai Point to produce green hydrogen at scale after the supply agreement with the smelter finished at the end of next year.

Despite the aluminium smelter indicating it wanted to continue at the site, the prospect of a hydrogen production facility could still work for the region.

There was a growing appetite for fuel that created no emissions to produce, or burn, and the project did not need the smelter to close, he said.

"There’s other spots, but what you need is power," Mr Nicholas said.

Among yesterday’s presenters, Hyundai Motors New Zealand national manager for hydrogen Grant Doull said if "good sources" for green hydrogen were to become available, it could be a good fuel source for private vehicles.

For now, the company believed that for lighter and shorter distances battery electric would dominate.

However, for heavier, longer distances Hyundai believed hydrogen would be the dominant fuel source, Mr Doull said.

A view from the Government around potential stimulus to bring about change, particularly in the heavy commercial sector, was desired.

"Really, what we need now is the fuel network to be implemented," he said.

There were only a handful of hydrogen cars and trucks in the country now because of a limit to public refuelling, Mr Doull said.

The company brought a hydrogen-fuelled Hyundai Nexo to the symposium.

It was the first vehicle purpose-built for hydrogen, he said.

The car could reach 800km in the right conditions and would take only two to three minutes to refuel at a commercial station.

NZ Post was piloting a Hyundai Xcient fuel cell electric truck, which had a good cargo payload, a 400km range, and a 15-20 minute refuel time, he said.