11 November 2021

After pioneering the use of a truck capable of running on 100 percent GreenFuels® biodiesel, the next step is hydrogen.

In late 2022 Fulton Hogan will have a 600HP 58 tonne hydrogen-powered GCM bitumen carrier on the Tauranga- Auckland route. Emitting only water vapour, it will prevent approximately a tonne of CO2 being emitted for every day of use.

In total, 20 Hyzon trucks are being brought to New Zealand by TR Group. They will refuel at four fuel cell refuelling stations on key North Island freight routes that are being built by Hiringa Energy. The initiative is co-funded by the COVID Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) and EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority).

The first four units will arrive in New Zealand in the second quarter of 2022 for performance testing, with the balance in the fourth quarter.

Chief Executive Graeme Johnson says this is the first practical initiative towards make hydrogen viable in heavy vehicle transport in New Zealand, and part of a multi-pronged approach for Fulton Hogan.

TR Group General Manager Brendan King says this commitment is key to the eventual widespread use of hydrogen.

“You can’t get to the point where the economics fully stack up without having early adopters on board. To have an organisation like Fulton Hogan behind this initiative from the start is an important step on this journey towards critical mass,” Brendan says.

Transport Minister Megan Woods says heavy freight is “a perfect application for hydrogen in establishing New Zealand’s low-emissions economy.”

“New Zealand has the abundant renewable energy needed to produce green hydrogen in a sustainable way, and investing in that infrastructure will create new jobs in a highly skilled industry as well as reducing our greenhouse gas emissions,” she says.

“These are early steps in our hydrogen journey, but I am excited to see green hydrogen reach its potential here.”