The Halcyon Power Plant at Mokai (bottom right).

Taupō-based Halcyon Power Ltd – the country’s first megawatt scale green hydrogen production company – will play a substantial role at this year’s H2 2 Zero Summit in Wellington, on May 28-29.

By Chris Marshall

Taupō-based Halcyon Power Ltd – the country’s first megawatt scale green hydrogen production company – will play a substantial role at this year’s H2 2 Zero Summit in Wellington, on May 28-29.

Aya Inagaki, head of operations at Halcyon Power and a member of the New Zealand Hydrogen Council is organising part of the programme at the summit, while Tūaropaki Trust culture and legacy general manager Tahana Tippett-Tapsell will speak on hydrogen exports and consortium partnerships.

Japan’s Obayashi Corporation and the trust are 50/50 joint venture partners in Halcyon.

Late last year Halcyon announced it had successfully completed a ground-breaking export demonstration shipment of hydrogen to Fiji used in the commissioning of a hydrogen dual-fuel generator at Fiji Gas in Lautoka.

Inagaki said while that trial was now complete, Halcyon is supporting various companies using hydrogen in heavy transport and others piloting the use of fuel cell generators.

NZ Hydrogen Council chair Linda Wright said Taupō could play a key role in the development of the country’s hydrogen rollout – because of its geography and the technological investment already made in the area.

“It’s definitely got the potential to be one of the key locations in New Zealand for hydrogen and because it’s the backbone of the network down through to Wellington and on down to the South Island we need it to develop so we have got a connected network.”

A map of refuelling stations that would constitute a viable network, that the council hopes will become a national hydrogen infrastructure development plan, has Taupō as one of the multi sector hydrogen hubs around which demand will develop.

A key incentive for hydrogen to assist in decarbonising the country’s heavy transport sector, said Wright, was for hydrogen infrastructure to grow in scale and the development of these hydrogen hubs.

“You have the production but it’s also more in concert with developing the demand… across multiple sectors.”

Ken Ando, Aya Inagaki and Yukio Mashimo at H2 2 Zero 2023.

Miraka’s trialling of dual-fuel trucks with hydrogen supply from Halcyon was an example, she said, that would hopefully lead to uptake in other areas in agriculture or forestry.

“Obviously in any sector that is reliant on heavy vehicles there is a focus on decarbonising so it’s about growing that demand across multiple different sectors and converting their heavy vehicles to hydrogen… It (Taupō) will be one of the cornerstone locations to develop that network and grow scale.”

The fact New Zealand had the capability to retrofit existing trucks with Toyota fuel cells now, said Wright, supported with a government subsidy was the opportunity for any industry using heavy vehicles to start participating.

“That is really, relevant transition technology because it will be around for decades and we are not reliant on international imports. It’s tech that exists in New Zealand and IP (intellectual property) that’s held in New Zealand.”

Such dual-fuel retrofit trucks could also run just on diesel eliminating any range anxiety, she said.

“It’s fantastic New Zealand technology and applicability. It’s a real enabler… You grow demand and then there’s that opportunity for your region to be a standout in terms of decarbonising multiple sectors.”

And while she said it was sometimes hard to get cut-through in the media and general understanding about how hydrogen could help the country decarbonise, that was what the H2 2 Zero summit was for.

“All of the progress that’s being made is really enlightening and the fact that New Zealand is being held up internationally as a country that has got a lot to offer in terms of hydrogen production, the technology, innovative partnerships that we’ve got, international partnerships…

“Once people come along, they are always surprised at the level of collaboration and the progress that’s being made.”

The summit runs May 28-29 May at Wellington’s Tākina Convention Centre.