HWR Hydrogen

HWR’s ground-breaking on green hydrogen as an alternative fuel solution has steadily been gaining momentum.

HWR Hydrogen, as the project is commonly known, and its team have been busy at work raising the profile on this sustainable fuel solution for the heavy transport industry. Using a dual fuel approach (heavy vehicles running on both hydrogen and diesel), HWR Hydrogen believes this will allow the entire heavy transport industry to transition to hydrogen as an alternative fuel in a way that is accessible, fair and equitable.

Since the project was announced a year ago, significant inroads have been made. HWR Hydrogen plans to establish a network of hydrogen refuelling stations throughout New Zealand, using fellow Group company Allied Petroleum’s network of fuel stops. The first refuelling station is set to be in Gore, which will be open later in 2023. Resource consent has been approved for this site.

We launched NZ's first dual-fuel truck Blue Hydro fitted with a conversion unit. This conversion unit is how HWR Hydrogen plans to introduce hydrogen to the heavy transport industry – a more reasonable cost – and the only way to introduce hydrogen when there is limited infrastructure – than a 100% hydrogen truck in the interim. The truck is now in Christchurch where it will be fitted with a conversion unit in the coming weeks and trials on the unit’s performance and fuel displacement will begin.

In Q3, HWR Hydrogen’s electrolyser is due to arrive in New Zealand. An electrolyser is a piece of machinery that produces hydrogen from water through a process called electrolysis. The electrolyser, once commissioned by Christchurch’s based engineering innovator Fabrum, will be transported to the Gore site and installed and will allow hydrogen to be produced on-site.

With all this exciting development the team have been hard at work speaking to various stakeholders, businesses and community groups, letting everyone know about the project. HWR Hydrogen will also be making an appearance at the George Begg Festival in Invercargill at the end of March where attendees will be able see the dual fuel truck that will be on the road in the coming weeks.

Pictured in the gallery is a draft layout for Gore, with the hydrogen plant located at the rear of our existing Allied 24/7 Fuel Stop.