10 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Hiringa Energy: Tauranga Hydrogen Facility T T Nicki Woodlock A greener way to drive trucks Refuelling stations are designed to make hydrogen as affordable as possible, with hydrogen being made on-site, meaning the fuel doesn’t need to be transported. “Refuelling stations are designed specifically for trucks and other heavy transport vehicles, allowing businesses to replace high-emission diesel vehicles with a cleaner hydrogen alternative.” Driven by the concept of hiringa, a Māori word meaning inspiration, determination, energy, perseverance and vitality, Tauranga company Hiringa Energy uses renewable electricity and water to make, move, store, and sell green hydrogen to displace fossil fuels in heavy transport and industrial processes. The privately held company is passionate about addressing climate change by decarbonising some of the world’s largest carbon contributors, such as heavy transport and industrial processes by providing the much greener alternative fuel hydrogen. Hiringa is unlocking the power of green hydrogen for its customers and partners to decarbonise, by building and operating hydrogen refuelling stations across New Zealand to provide an accessible, reliable, safe, and commercially sustainable green hydrogen supply chain. Hiringa Energy hydrogen refuelling stations combine water and electricity in a process called electrolysis, producing hydrogen with oxygen as the only by-product. It is considered ‘green hydrogen’, because the energy used to make the hydrogen is renewable and there are no greenhouse gas emissions. “Refuelling stations are designed specifically for trucks and other heavy transport vehicles, allowing businesses to replace high-emission diesel vehicles with a cleaner hydrogen alternative. without impacting their operations,” the company says. The heavy transport sector is responsible for 25% of New Zealand’s transport emissions, even though it only makes up 4% of vehicles on the road. Hydrogen is a like-for-like replacement for high-emitting diesel. It is also used to power buses, trucks, boats, and cars. Team NZ even used a hydrogen chase boat at the America’s Cup. There are two types of hydrogen trucks available in New Zealand: fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which run on 100% hydrogen with no fossil fuel emissions, and dual fuel vehicles, which inject hydrogen into an existing diesel engine. Dual fuel vehicles reduce emissions by 30-50% and can be retrofitted into the engine of a diesel truck. One of the main suppliers of hydrogen trucks in New Zealand is Hiringa’s partner TR Group. There are three Hiringa Energy refuelling stations in operation around New Zealand – Wiri, South Auckland, Te Rapa, Hamilton, and Milson, Palmerston North. A fourth station at Tauriko, Tauranga, currently under construction, is expected to open later this year. Stations are designed to make hydrogen as affordable as possible, with hydrogen being made on-site, meaning the fuel doesn’t need to be transported. The impressively engineered stations also allow for fast refuelling of trucks back-to-back. Refuelling takes as little as 15-20 minutes – comparable to diesel, allowing trucks to get back on the road quickly. The modular stations are built to scale as the industry grows. They can fuel 10-15 trucks per day, and this can be expanded to up to 60 trucks as demand grows. The new Tauriko, Tauranga station will provide concentrated coverage of hydrogen across the transport golden triangle of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga, where 42% of New Zealand’s total road freight happens. When complete, Hiringa’s network of hydrogen stations will cover 95% of North Island freight routes. A key benefit the Tauriko hydrogen station gives the transport industry is the ability to tap into the benefits of emission-free transport from the central North Island through to the Port of Tauranga – making hydrogen more viable than ever. This helps transport providers and their customers meet the growing global need for an emission-free supply chain. Other Hiringa Energy projects currently in play are the Good Earth Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Project, which involves the construction and operation of a renewable ammonia. and a green hydrogen production facility near Moree in northern New South Wales; the Kapuni Green Hydrogen and Ammonia project harnessing the natural wind resources in Taranaki – with the construction of four new wind turbines; and the Harakeke Project, which will produce commercial quantities of low-carbon methanol fuel to decarbonise New Zealand’s emissions-intensive marine transport sector. Plus, there are multiple other projects under development, including liquid fuels for the aviation sector and hydrogen for remote power generation. Hiringa Energy has ambitious plans to expand its hydrogen refuelling network, with more than 24 stations planned across New Zealand by around 2030. 0800 289 787 btw.nz SURVEYING ENGINEERING PLANNING ENVIRONMENT Creating a better future with smart solutions delivered safely & responsibly. PROUD PARTNER ON HIRINGA ENERGY PROJECTS
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