A new agreement between Jemena, an energy infrastructure company, and gas supply company Coregas will enable buses, trucks and cars to be powered by green hydrogen in NSW.
Under this new agreement, Jemena will produce and supply green hydrogen from its $15 million Western Sydney Green Gas Project facility, which will be used by transport and industrial customers from early 2022. This is the first time the NSW transport industry will have access to green hydrogen.
The agreement further demonstrates the potential of green hydrogen to store renewable energy and integrate future gas, electricity and transport refuelling networks, according to Jemena general manager for Renewable Gas Gabrielle Sycamore.
“We know that green hydrogen has the immediate potential to become a viable zero emission alternative to many petroleum-based fossil fuels, currently used by industries such as transport and remote power generation,” Sycamore said.
“Hydrogen fuel cells are particularly well suited to long distance heavy haulage trucking requirements, based on their comparatively light weight and fast refuelling times which can be just a matter of minutes.”
Hydrogen is used to power fuel cell buses and cars in countries around the world. In Japan, 500 fuel cell vehicles are being used to transport competitors and staff at the Tokyo Olympics (hydrogen is also being used to power the Olympic flame). In London, hydrogen fuel cell buses are being used for public transport across the city.
Co-funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the Power-to-Gas project will convert renewable electricity to hydrogen gas, which can be blended and stored in Jemena’s gas distribution network to supply NSW homes and businesses.
“Together with the Western Sydney Green Gas Project, Jemena is bringing renewable gas to homes and businesses across NSW,” Sycamore said.
“It’s also offering the transport industry the opportunity to create their own path to a low carbon future.
“Our partnership with Coregas is an exciting extension to the Western Sydney Green Gas Project and will allow the NSW transport industry to innovate by offering cleaner energy solutions to their customers.”
Coregas is working hard to apply its expertise in hydrogen distribution, compression and storage, as part of Australia’s transition to a hydrogen economy, Coregas executive general manager Alan Watkins said.
“Transforming the transport sector is a critical piece of the puzzle, and we are delighted to partner with Jemena to make renewably generated green hydrogen available to the transport industry in NSW,” he said.
To read more about Jemena’s Western Sydney Green Gas project, click here.