Planned hydrogen fuel station network to receive $20 million in funding
A hydrogen superhighway is coming, with three state governments agreeing to fund the development of a network of refuelling stations across Australia’s east coast.
The Victorian, New South Wales, and Queensland governments will provide a combined $20 million in funding to help develop the nation’s first renewable hydrogen refuelling station network.
According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industry (FCAI), the move is an important step in preparing Australia for a zero-emissions future.
“While this announcement is initially aimed at the trucking industry, it is a historic step in preparing the broader transport sector for large scale renewable hydrogen use,” said FCAI CEO, Tony Weber.
“It is great to see three state governments behind this program.”
Hydrogen fuel cells create the electricity needed to power a vehicle by mixing a fuel (hydrogen, in this case) and an oxidising agent (usually oxygen). Fuel cell vehicles can be refuelled via a pump in the same way a petrol-powered vehicle can, and usually have similar driving/riding ranges (if not longer).
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And, like standard EVs, hydrogen fuel cells produce zero CO2 emissions – the only emissions are heat and water vapour. Given the challenges of battery range and recharging times faced by regular EVs, there is a growing push for hydrogen to be a solution going forward.
To date, hydrogen fuel cell development has been most prominent in the trucking world, while Toyota has also been a big advocate (most notably with the Toyota Mirai). Hyundai has mobilised its hydrogen-powered Nexo to the Australian government for a trial – but more recent news suggests the Korean giant has pressed pause on hydrogen development.
