Hydrogen station first for Auckland

A hydrogen production and refuelling facility at Ports of Auckland should be running by the end of 2019.

In a New Zealand first, the station on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour waterfront land will be used for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles such as cars, buses, tugs, straddle carriers and other port equipment with further uses planned.

About as big as a small service station, the hydrogen facility will be constructed by Ports of Auckland with its project partners including the Auckland Council, Auckland Transport and KiwiRail.

Electrolysis will split tap water into hydrogen – stored for later use – with oxygen released into the air as a result.

Hydrogen is used in the fuel cell to create electricity which powers the car, with only water produced.

“We have an ambitious target to be a zero-emission port by 2040,” Ports of Auckland chief executive Tony Gibson says.

“In order to meet that target we need a new renewable and resilient power source for heavy equipment like tugs and straddle carriers, which are difficult to power with batteries. Hydrogen could be the solution for us as it can be produced and stored on site, allows rapid refuelling, and provides greater range than batteries.”

It’s just like refuelling a car with CNG or LPG.

If the trial is successful, the technology would have a very wide application, Gibson says. “It could help Auckland and New Zealand towards energy self-sufficiency and our emission reduction goals. Trucks, trains and ferries could also run on hydrogen – something which is already being done overseas – which would be a significant benefit for the community. Hydrogen powered vehicles are quieter and emit nothing more than clean water.”

The project partners will provide technical support and will purchase hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for the project. Global hydrogen experts Arup are also helping through the development, design and delivery phases.

“With 40% of emissions in Auckland coming from our transport system, alternative energy sources to power vehicles, such as electric and hydrogen, are critical to meeting the target of global warming to 1.5 degrees,” Auckland mayor Phil Goff says.

KiwiRail acting chief executive officer Todd Moyle says it has set a goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 and that hydrogen has enormous potential for New Zealand’s transport future.

“Just weeks ago, two hydrogen-powered trains with a range of 1000km per tank began operating commercial services in Germany. If successful with passengers, there is no reason why the next development could not be hydrogen-powered freight trains.”

Auckland Transport chief executive Shane Ellison says it could be used for AT’s fleet of buses and harbour ferries too.

Ports of Auckland will soon start stakeholder engagement before applying for resource consent for the hydrogen station in early 2019.

Globally, ports involved in trialling hydrogen include Los Angeles, Long Beach, Honolulu, Valencia and Rotterdam.