Investment
Hyundai commits to Aussie hydrogen future
Hyundai Motor Company Australia is investing in a new Sydney-based hydrogen-vehicle refuelling station as part of its ongoing commitment to expand the Australian hydrogen-mobility sector.
The company says that in addition to supporting its own range of hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles, FCEVS, the $1.7-million facility will co-operate with Australian gas technology company ENGV as a proof-of-concept model that might eventually give rise to a country-wide network of refuelling stations, such as those that have been established in Germany, South Korea, China, Japan and in parts of the United States.
Located at HMCA’S corporate headquarters in Macquarie Park, the stateof-the-art facility would produce up to 20kg of its own green hydrogen, which is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity, each day via an integrated electrolyser. The installation is expected to be operational later this year and will replace the current infrastructure, which has operated on the site since 2014.
HMCA chief executive officer Ted Lee said the new hydrogen refuelling facility would not only enable faster refuelling of its expanding range of FCEVS but enable the company to showcase the benefits of hydrogen mobility technologies to external stakeholders.
“This investment forms part of Hyundai’s long-term commitment to a zero-emission future for Australia,” he said.
“Hydrogen fuel-cell mobility is anticipated to play an integral role in the country’s transition to cleaner drivetrains and we intend to help lay the steppingstones toward making this vision a reality.”
HMCA selected Us-based PDC Machines and IVYS Energy Solutions to supply the hydrogen refuelling station, known as Simplefuelfast, while ENGV was responsible for Australian integration, installation and ongoing operational services.
The engagement follows the announcement of the CSIRO’S Victorian Hydrogen Hub in mid-2021, which will see ENGV, PDC Machines and IVYS Energy Solutions working in unison to construct a hydrogen-vehicle refuelling system at the national science agency’s Clayton facility.