The first hydrogen-powered heavy trucks for local operation will be delivered by Hyzon Motors next year.
Coregas, a Wesfarmers subsidiary, which is on track to build the first commercial hydrogen refuelling station in Australia, will deploy the prime movers out of its hydrogen production facility in New South Wales.
Collaborating with Hyzon to drive greater uptake of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles, Coregas has signed a vehicle supply agreement for two of Hyzon Motors’ hydrogen fuel cell-powered prime mover trucks.
The announcement was made prior to Hyzon’s public listing today via a proposed business combination with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation.
The Hyzon Hymax-450 prime movers are expected to be delivered in the first half of 2022 and to mark the first hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles to operate in Australia.
The prime movers 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.
Decarbonization opportunities will be immediate with the project expected to deliver emissions reductions of 50 per cent in comparison with trucks currently in use.
Coregas is 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.
Port Kembla and Illawarra-Shoalhaven are primed to be an epicentre of the emerging hydrogen sector possessing several advantages to foster the development of the thriving domestic and export hydrogen sector.
A leader in industrial gases with a 40-year history in the generation and distribution of industrial gases, Coregas operates Australia’s largest merchant hydrogen plant in Port Kembla, which supplies customers across various sectors including manufacturing and mobility.
The agreement aligns with pursuit of scaling up hydrogen-powered trucking for Hyzon and Coregas.
Both parties are actively engaging with companies operating in and around the port on the opportunity to transition to hydrogen and decarbonize the heavy vehicle fleet.
At present, around 7,000 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, R&D 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,” said Craig Knight, CEO and Co-Founder of Hyzon.
“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.”
Coregas Executive General Manager Alan Watkins is excited by the prospect of partnering with Hyzon.
“Coregas is working hard to apply our expertise in hydrogen distribution, compression and storage to Australia’s transition to a hydrogen economy,” he said in a joint statement.
“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.”
Coregas supplies a range of products including industrial gases, medical gases and specialty gases in quantities ranging from single cylinders to bulk liquid tanks. It is the only Australian-owned gases company.