Hiringa signs FCEV deal with Hyzon

New Plymouth-based Hiringa Energy and US-based Hyzon Motors

have signed a deal for the supply of heavy hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

The heads of agreement secures access for Hiringa and its fleet partners TR Group and TIL Logistics to the FCEVs. 

They will be made to meet the requirements of the New Zealand road transport sector with 20 trucks expected to be operating from early 2021 as part of a validation phase.

Hiringa and its partners have a strategy to roll out more than 1500 FCEVs by 2026.

The project aims to drive down the cost of the technology and unlock widespread adoption of zero emission heavy transport.

The trucks will come in a variety of right-hand drive configurations with a gross combined mass (GCM) of over 50 tonnes and suitable for New Zealand operators including 8×4 and 6×4 rigid and prime movers with driving distances of up to 500km.

The agreement includes a plan to move to large-scale commercial deployment from 2022 onwards.

The trucks will be fuelled by Hiringa’s nationwide hydrogen refuelling network located on key partner sites such as Waitomo Group’s existing fuel stops.

The network will begin refuelling operations in 2021, expanding to eight stations across the North and South Islands by 2022 as part of the first phase network infrastructure plan, servicing all of the North Island and 82% of the South Island heavy freight routes.

The second phase expansion will increase the network to at least 24 stations by 2025, providing coverage for 95% of all heavy vehicle routes throughout New Zealand.

It builds on the Government’s $19.9 million investment through the Provincial Growth Fund towards a hydrogen energy facility

in South Taranaki to help establish Hiringa’s nationwide refuelling network.

FCEV trucks have the benefit of being an EV, but with a similar weight and power output to regular diesel-powered trucks, and have a similar refuelling time of around 15-20 minutes.

Hiringa chief technology officer Dan Kahn says the deal is an “exciting milestone”.

“It comes on the back of over three years’ of detailed planning and analysis working together with heavy fleet operators, government and leading technology vendors such as Hyzon Motors.

“The FCEV truck market is growing rapidly, with enormous demand coming out of the US and Europe.

“So, for New Zealand to be able to secure this agreement with Hyzon demonstrates New Zealand’s leadership in how we are approaching the hydrogen FCEV opportunity.

“We look forward to getting these trucks on our roads early next year and putting them through their paces prior to widespread roll-out for the New Zealand trucking industry in 2022.

“These exciting trucks are a flavour of what’s to come with the growing applications for FCEV commercial and heavy vehicles in New Zealand,” Kahn says.

Hyzon Motors co-founder Craig Knight says Hiringa’s hydrogen infrastructure deployment “will position New Zealand to become a global leader in the adoption of zero emission heavy vehicle technology”.

“This heads of agreement with Hiringa closely follows the signing of an agreement for Hyzon to supply hydrogen fuel cell-powered coaches to Western Australian iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group’s Christmas Creek operations.

We are excited to be rapidly growing our presence in Australia and New Zealand and look forward to playing our part in the global decarbonisation story,” Knight says.

Hiringa chief executive Andrew Clennett says he is looking forward to working with partners such as TR Group and TIL Logistics on the roll-out.

“New Zealand is set to be one of the first countries in the world to be able to offer a zero-emission national supply chain.

With Hyzon we have vehicles bringing new technology and a focus on absolute maximisation of efficiency and reduction of operational cost.

“To be developing this fully integrated solution in New Zealand is an excellent example of the joint leadership being shown by the transport and hydrogen industries in this country,” Clennett says.