Viva Energy announces today further significant steps towards delivery of its industry-leading hydrogen refuelling station, designed to service a diverse set of Australia’s most prominent commercial transport fleets.
The Geelong project has passed several significant milestones and is on track for delivery in late 2023.
Viva Energy has placed orders for a 2.5MW electrolyser for the creation of green hydrogen as well as a fast-fuelling hydrogen dispensing system capable of refuelling multiple vehicles at once. This equipment will be the first of its kind in the Australian market and is expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2023.
The containerised electrolyser is being provided by Nel Hydrogen US, a subsidiary of Nel ASA in Norway, together with its local partner ENGV, and is expected to be the largest in Australia by a considerable margin. Once installed, it will be at least twice the size of any other electrolyser producing green hydrogen in the country.
In addition, Viva Energy is partnering with Air Liquide for the provision of a ‘fast fill’ hydrogen refuelling package designed to refuel at least 10 trucks or busses consecutively. This leading-edge system will be the largest in Australia and will be capable of dispensing 300 kg of hydrogen in under two hours. This will provide Viva Energy’s hydrogen customers with a similar refuelling experience to today’s traditional service station.
Together, this equipment will provide Viva Energy with the capacity to generate and deliver more than 1,000 kilograms of green hydrogen per day, powering a fleet of at least 15 hydrogen fuel cell heavy vehicles.
These are critical first steps in Viva Energy’s vision to establish Australia’s most ambitious hydrogen mobility project, which is expected to be the catalyst for a network of hydrogen refuelling stations reaching from Geelong and Melbourne to Sydney and Brisbane.
Viva Energy’s hydrogen mobility project was made possible through $22.8 million funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and $1 million from the Victorian Government’s Renewable Hydrogen Commercialisation Pathways Fund.
Viva Energy announced its hydrogen vision in March when it named four foundation partners that have committed to the first seven hydrogen fuel cell heavy vehicles which will be refuelled at Viva Energy’s hydrogen outlet. It is continuing to engage with other potential partners keen to deploy hydrogen powered heavy vehicles and reduce their emissions.
Green hydrogen is not currently available in commercial, deliverable quantities in Australia, so Viva Energy’s delivery model involves the production of green hydrogen onsite through the utilisation of renewable electricity and recycled water.
The electrolyser will produce hydrogen by using renewable electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The recycled water will be supplied from Barwon Water’s Northern Water Plant.
Viva Energy has extensive experience in the safe operation of high-voltage infrastructure and hydrogen at its nearby Geelong Refinery site and currently generates about 70 tonnes of hydrogen per day as part of the oil refining process.
While this will be Australia’s first publicly accessible commercial hydrogen refuelling station, overseas the technology has been in use for more than 10 years and there are more than 680 hydrogen refuelling stations in 33 countries.
The project illustrates the benefits of industry and government working together to address carbon emissions in the commercial road transport sector. It also ties in closely with Viva Energy’s ambition to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and supports the company’s goal to help its customers meet their own sustainability targets.
For more information:
Media Enquiries
Michael Cave
T: +61 409 647 910
E: michael.cave@vivaenergy.com.au
About Viva Energy
Viva Energy is one of Australia’s leading energy companies and supplies approximately a quarter of the country’s liquid fuel requirements. It is the exclusive supplier of high quality Shell fuels and lubricants in Australia through an extensive network of around 1,330 service stations across the country.
Viva Energy owns and operates the strategically located Geelong Refinery in Victoria, and operates bulk fuels, aviation, bitumen, marine, chemicals and lubricants businesses supported by more than 20 terminals and 50 airports and airfields across the country.