Coregas has launched Australia’s first hydrogen refuelling station for heavy vehicles. The H2Station will facilitate the introduction of zero emissions hydrogen fuel cell trucks to the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region and future industry partners using H2 heavy vehicles will be encouraged to access the H2Station, which can rapidly refuel up to 10 vehicles daily.
Coregas General Manager Alan Watkins said locating the H2Station alongside Coregas’ existing hydrogen production plant and transport hub for bulk hydrogen in Port Kembla has created operational and cost efficiencies
“The H2Station will allow hydrogen trucks to access the majority of the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region and reach metropolitan Sydney.”
Coregas is transitioning its diesel truck fleet to fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) as part of the company’s decarbonisation roadmap.
FCEVs powered by hydrogen deliver heavy vehicles a lighter, longer-distance solution combined with fast refuelling and high payload capability.
“Coregas’ diesel truck fleet travels more than six million kilometres every year,” said Alan.
“That’s equivalent to driving 150 times around the world, which contributes to 54 per cent of Coregas’ carbon emissions.”
Minister for Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty, said heavy road transport is a major carbon-emitting sector and Port Kembla is leading the way towards a more diverse energy future following the opening of the Coregas H2Station.
“This project is an important first step towards decarbonising the local transport industry that will also demonstrate the feasibility of using hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles more broadly in regional NSW.”
Working with project partner Haskel, the H2Station will compress hydrogen from the existing Coregas plant up to 500bar, enabling supply into the 350bar cylinders on board the FCEV. The hydrogen dispensing system has the capacity to discharge 400 kilograms of fuel cell grade hydrogen.
By facilitating the introduction of hydrogen trucks in Australia, Coregas is building demand for its locally produced hydrogen gas and supporting the broader community to decarbonise their transport.
Construction of the $2 million H2Station has been assisted by a $500,000 NSW Government grant.
