April 22, 2024
Tuaropaki bets big on hydrogen trucking
A hydrogen refuelling station opens today in Wiri in South Auckland as part of a Māori land trust’s ambitious plan to shift Aotearoa’s heavy transport fleet to cleaner, greener energy.
Halcyon Power is a joint venture between Tūaropaki Trust and Japanese construction giant Obayåshi Corporation to produce hydrogen fuel using power generated by Tūaropaki’s geothermal plant at Mokai near Taupo.
Tuaropaki energy general manager Dave Binnie says it’s a viable alternative to diesel for long haul transport.
“Forty percent of emissions comes from the energy sector and a large part of that comes from transport. We’re making great progress in EVs for the light fleet, but we think hydrogen is the way to go for the heavy fleet,” he says.
Mr Binnie says Tūaropaki believes the venture will eventually be commercial, and it’s the right thing to do from an environmental and intergenerational perspective.