Christchurch leads green fuel tech
Technology to make liquid hydrogen is putting Christchurch on the map and is set to put New Zealand in good stead for the future of fuel. Carly Gooch reports.
It’s only a matter of time before liquid hydrogen will be another option at the fuel pump – and a Christchurch company is leading the way in making it become a reality. Fabrum, based in Hornby, has been developing cryogenic technology (using extreme cold to change gas to liquid) for the last 20 years, but it’s the company’s ability to create liquid hydrogen that has led to a partnership with large West Australian mining company Fortescue.
Fortescue is investigating alternative methods to replace fossil fuel within its mining operations, Fabrum co-founder Christopher Boyle said, “and our technology, the liquefier, is operational [in Australia] so we are making liquid at one of their ... sites off renewable energy”.
“It’s the first of its type in Australasia.” Fuelling with liquid hydrogen allowed the company to “use the same equipment, to do the same job, for the same operating efficiencies but with zero emissions”, he said.
The use of liquid hydrogen is a green alternative to diesel and petrol.
“The whole climate issue the world is facing is around increased emission of CO₂ and other greenhouse gasses. Fossil fuels within the transport sector – either marine, aviation, road and heavy industry – are a significant contributor to that.”
The technology to make liquid hydrogen at a large scale (creating more than 50 tonnes a day) exists in other parts of the world, but Boyle said most projects wanted to start at a lower scale – which was where Fabrum was filling the gap, making up to just 5 tonnes a day.
The patented technology, created in Christchurch, allowed companies to start the process small, making it “easier to build, easier to commission and it enables them to start the process of conversion to reduce emissions”, he said.
Hydrogen is produced through electrolysis by taking water and electricity then splitting the water into oxygen and hydrogen.
Fabrum took the hydrogen in gas form and turned it into a liquid – “and that’s the fuel”.
Being in liquid form made it more dense – therefore less volume – allowing faster refuel times than the use of gas.
When Boyle founded Fabrum with Hugh Reynolds in 2004, there were three reasons why the business was created in the Garden City, Boyle said.
The pair wanted to leverage Christchurch’s high-tech manufacturing history and build strong relationships, providing a pathway for local engineering students so they didn’t have to move overseas to make a mark on the industry. Their main focus though was to develop technology that enabled humanity to “tread lightly”, Boyle said.
“It’s all about climate impacts, emission reductions and a sustainable existence.” The partnership with Fortescue felt like “the emergence of a dream becoming a reality”, which could lead to greater accomplishments for New Zealand, he said.
“It enables New Zealand to become self-sufficient for a lot of its [heavy industry and transportation] fuel, and a lot of the technology’s been developed in New Zealand, which then ultimately becomes an export channel.” There were “a lot of positives”, including reduced emissions, greater job opportunities and being autonomous in a global fuel market – “all pluses right here in Christchurch”.
Having liquid hydrogen at the pumps next to LPG, diesel and petrol was just around the corner, Boyle said.
“We are much closer than we think. It’s not here next year, but it will definitely be here within the next five years.
“Once you’ve got hydrogen at fuel stations ... you’ll start seeing more vehicles utilising it.”
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