Deputy CEO Neoen Australia, Romain Desrousseaux, ActewAGL CEO John Knox, and Minister for Climate Change Shane Rattenbury at the Fyshwick site for the pilot hydrogen refuelling station. Photo: Supplied.
Canberra will be the first Australian city to have a publicly available hydrogen vehicle refuelling station, to be built in Fyshwick by ActewAGL with the support of renewable energy generator Neoen.
The ACT Government will be the pilot station’s first customer, revealing at Wednesday’s announcement that it would also add 20 new Hyundai hydrogen emissions-free vehicles, funded by Neoen, to its fleet.
Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury said the building of the station in Mildura Street was a momentous step towards the ACT’s transition to 100 per cent renewable energy and for the next generation of zero-emission transport.
“The ACT is a proud world leader in climate action. We’re on track to deliver 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2020, and to achieve zero net emissions by 2045,” he said.
But transport, at over 60 per cent, will be the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions after 2020.
“Tackling climate change means tackling transport pollution, and zero-emission vehicle technology is a key part of this,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“Being at the forefront of a potentially significant new industry for Australia also strengthens our position as a leader in energy innovation and helps us as we work towards our ambitious goal of zero net emissions by 2045.”
The Fyshwick project will help players understand the long-term operating costs of hydrogen refuelling stations.
ActewAGL CEO John Knox said he was delighted that ActewAGL had been chosen by Neoen to build and operate this landmark project just a short distance from Canberra’s CBD.
“This is an incredible opportunity to continue our exploration of the role hydrogen can play as an energy source of the future,” Mr Knox said.
“We look forward to welcoming the ACT Government as the first customer of the hydrogen refuelling station, and to examining how we might potentially use hydrogen more broadly as a clean-energy choice for the ACT.”
Deputy CEO of Neoen Australia Romain Desrousseaux said the company had a long and successful partnership with the ACT Government and would continue to support the Territory’s 100 per cent renewable energy target.
“This project also represents an important part of Neoen’s local investment commitment to the Territory as part of our Hornsdale Wind Farm project,” he said. ”
As a long-term investor in Australia’s renewable energy future, we believe hydrogen represents an exciting opportunity to decarbonise many other sectors of the economy — not only in Australia, but potentially overseas in the future through the export of renewable hydrogen.”
The station is due to be completed in December 2019, and will be available to any hydrogen vehicle driver, by agreement with ActewAGL.
The Fyshwick project will help players understand the long-term operating costs of hydrogen refuelling stations.
Hydrogen vehicles use a fuel cell stack to create electricity which drives the vehicle’s electric motor. A fuel cell stack uses stored hydrogen, mixes it with oxygen and creates electricity – the only by-product is water.
Hydrogen vehicles are emissions-free, in comparison to a standard petrol vehicle, which emits about 4600 kilograms of carbon a year.
Neoen is France’s leading independent producer of renewable energy and the leading independent producer of renewable energy in France, Australia, El Salvador, Jamaica and Zambia.
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