Hydrogen fuel network will aid low emissions transport
The proposed development of New Zealand’s first nationwide hydrogen refuelling network will provide an important step in the journey towards a low emissions transport sector, the Motor Industry Association says.
This is an exciting prospect and New Zealand has a lot of scope to produce clean hydrogen, MIA chief executive David Crawford says.
“We need to reduce emissions from our vehicle fleet and hydrogen can play an important role.”
Crawford says that producing hydrogen from renewable electricity backed up by abundant gas resources in Taranaki will have a big impact on transport emissions and help to lower its carbon footprint.
“We need to be prepared to use all forms of low emission fuels, and not just focus on electricity.”
New car distributors are very supportive of the prospect of a clean green transport future, Crawford says.
“It’s clear that there are good business opportunities for hydrogen development and distribution, as demonstrated by the proposed partnership between Hiringa Energy and the Waitomo Group.
“A comprehensive hydrogen production and a refuelling network would provide an important new source of fuel, not only for heavy vehicles, but increasingly for cars.
“Hydrogen vehicles are already in use in the UK, USA, Japan, Korea and Europe, and last year Hyundai unveiled its hydrogen-powered SUV at Mystery Creek Fieldays.”
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It is really sad how much wasted money is going into the ‘Hydrogen Economy’. It is a dead horse that is mostly being flogged by two main interested parties: The Oil & Gas Industry, and ICE vehicle makers. Over 95% of Hydrogen is produced by cracking natural gas with water to produce the Hydrogen and …… Carbon Dioxide! It is not ‘clean’. Yes, you can produce it by using excess electricity to hydrolise water into hydrogen and oxygen, but the resulting hydrogen contains less energy than the electricity you used to produce it. And that’s before you have to transport it around the countryside. Better to use the electricity to charge electric vehicles!
Saying that Hydrogen cars don’t emit any greenhouse gases is like saying that during the process of cooking and eating a steak, no animals were harmed!