Hydrogen transport trial picks up speed

A TASMANIAN company believes a small pilot program in the north of the state focusing on renewable hydrogen buses could provide a key platform for developing knowledge and understanding crucial for larger hydrogen projects.

123V director Jeremy Harris says Tasmania has enormous potential for the expansion of transport and other green hydrogen projects.

“We firmly believe this trial will prove the value of green hydrogen in the transport industry and provide a platform to develop the knowledge and understanding across the state, and that will lead to increasing uptake of fuel cell electric vehicles,” Dr Harris said.

The company is seeking government funding to help make the trial viable in the developing industry.

The electrolysers and the fuel cell electric vehicles needed for the trial are currently imported and 123V is working with the manufacturers to develop an Australian supply chain for FCEV buses.

“Tasmania currently has the most expensive fuel in the country, which is imported, converting to locally produced hydrogen will be an important step towards becoming more energy self sufficient,” he said.

“This is an important race to get carbon emissions to zero and we are excited to be part of that race, at a very tangible and domestic scale with public buses that Tasmanians can experience for themselves,” he said.

“They are used extensively in Europe and those used for the London Olympics are still in service and have proved more efficient than expected,” Dr Harris said.