Green H2 in New Zealand | Brooker's Bunch

World’s first green hydrogen AI data centre to be built in Canterbury, NZ with an intended $2bn first-phase investment. Check out an article here (transporttalk 7 Oct 2024) and a press release from the NZ energy company North Rakaia Ltd here (Scoop 6 October 2024). The 750 MW AI data centre project will include 850 MW of solar and 300 MW of wind farms for 1.15 GW of green generation, alongside green hydrogen production and power generation facilities.
Rewiring Aotearoa has released their ‘Electric Homes‘ report on the potential benefits, financial and otherwise, of electrifying New Zealand vehicles and homes. You can read the report here and the related recent Newsroom article here (28 August 2024)
The NZ Climate Change Commission has released the 2023 advice for the Government’s second emission reduction plan covering 2026 – 2030 (12 December 2023)
The New Zealand Hydrogen Aviation Consortium has released a report (available from their website) ‘Launching Green Hydrogen Powered Aviation in Aotearoa New Zealand’ which includes a foreword from Prof Sally Brooker (and notes one of her affiliations as He Honoka Hauwai – German-NZ Green Hydrogen Centre) (September 2023)
New Zealand’s Interim Hydrogen Roadmap has been released for consultation, you can find the roadmap document and provide feedback here (9 August 2023).
Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand has published an article about HWR‘s new dual-fuel truck hydrogen truck, with a contribution from Sally (who was invited to the launch by HWR) about the production and use of green hydrogen in NZ. Please check out the article and all the nice pics! (Transporting News May 2023)
Dr Linda Wright, CE of the NZ H2 Council and a team member on the H2 storage materials grant, contributed to a recent article about the role hydrogen may play in decarbonisation (Newsroom 17 April 2023)
Bspkl, GNS Science’s first spin-out company, has raised $2.5m in seed funding to develop and scale up their Catalyst Coated Membrane (CCM) technology. CCM significantly reduces the amount of catalyst (eg Platinum) required for electrolysers to generate hydrogen, and Bspkl have plans to expand this tech to related systems such as fuel cells (NBR and GNS 3 April 2023)
HW Richardson have launched their dual-fuel truck, the first of its kind in Australasia, which can combust hydrogen along with the diesel for up to a 40% reduction in emissions (Stuff 31 March, ODT 1 April 2023)
Fabrum has received an order from Obayashi Corporation for a 1 MW MFE220 electrolyser, Fabrum’s first order under their manufacturing agreement with CPH2, with delivery expected in a bit over a year (CPH2 27 Mar 2023)
Hydrogen Consortium – for zero-emissions aviation in NZ launched by Dr Megan Woods (Minister for Energy) in Christchurch and involves 6 companies: Air NZ, Airbus, Christchurch Airport, Fabrum, Hiringa Energy and FFI (10 February 2023). Please check out the announcement video and some of the articles: Christchurch Airport, RNZ, Stuff, Airbus.
Professor Martin Kaltschmitt, from TUHH, and Professor Sally Brooker recently spoke with Kathryn from RNZ’s Nine to Noon about green hydrogen and “Why NZ’s in the box seat” (RNZ 8 Feb 2023)
MBIE commissioned ARUP to produce a report on “Pilot Hydrogen Hubs for Trialling Advanced Aviation in New Zealand”, read it on ARUP’s website
Fabrum have expanded their relationship with CPH2 to allow Fabrum to manufacture Membrane-Free Electrolysers (MFEs) in Christchurch, NZ (Fabrum 1 Feb 2023, CPH2 31 Jan 2023). Fabrum also announced they’ve raised $23M in funding to advance hydrogen technologies (Fabrum 8 Feb 2023)
Sally was interviewed by Rachel on First Light about hydrogen and the inaugural research-focused NZ Hydrogen Symposium (Check it out: TodayFM 2 Feb 2023)
Air New Zealand has announced several partners for ‘Mission NextGen Aircraft’, one of which is Hiringa Energy. See Hiringa’s press release here. (Air NZ 14 Dec 2022)
Meridian announce that Woodside Energy is their preferred partner for the development of large scale green hydrogen and green ammonia production in Southland (29 Nov 2022)
The Sustainable Aviation Aotearoa group, a private-public partnership focused on decarbonising aviation, has been announced by Te Manatū Waka (NZ Ministry of Transport). See the Media Release and Terms of Reference (Nov 2022)
Air New Zealand plans to fly its first commercial zero-emissions demonstration flight in 2026 (Newshub 4 Nov 2022)
MBIE Endeavour grant “Pūhiko Nukutū: a green hydrogen geostorage battery in Taranaki” led by Professor Andy Nicol, awarded $11.8 million (Canty Uni press release 8 Sept 2022)
First 3 German-NZ Green H2 research grants awarded, including “Safe, low cost, hydrogen storage materials from NZ resources”, funded on both the German and NZ sides (HZH press release 4 August 2022; Minister Verrall press release 16 Aug 2022)
NZ Post launches Hyundai H2 fuel cell truck and Fonterra launches a battery swap electric milk truck ‘Milk-E’, both pilots supported by EECA (Minister Woods press release, Scoop 18Jul2022)
Real time NZ electricity generation and usage (Transpower)
Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme feasibility study = NZ Battery Project (Govt)
Hydrogen scene in NZ, as CityHop Toyota Mirai H2 fuel cell car share starts in Auckland (NZ Herald, 1 July 2022); includes statements from the recently released UK-based Juniper Research report on H2 vehicles, including aviation (June 2022)
Offshore wind resource in NZ (Newsroom (17 June 2022)
Meridian/Contact announce Woodside Energy and Fortesque Future Industries are counterparties in final stage negotiations for lead developer of Southern Green Hydrogen plant in Southland, NZ (Murihiku Regeneration, Southern Green Hydrogen, and Stuff (20 June 2022). Followed up in Stuff, quoting Sally Brooker and Terry Nicholas (20 June 2022).
Rinnai – NZ first H2-specific instant hot water heating (June 2022)
MBIE release Castalia report on NZ Hydrogen Scenarios (April 2022)
NZ Hydrogen Council (CEO Dr Linda Wright) – hosted NZ’s first international hydrogen conference, the H2 2 ZERO Summit, at Te Papa 3-4 May 2022
HWR (1300 trucks NZ-wide), combination of imported and retrofitted dual fuel transport trucks, and rollout of hydrogen refuelling stations (at their Allied Petroleum sites) with Fabrum. First 1.1 MW electrolyser, to be delivered in August 2022 and commissioned on-site in Southland by April 2023.
RNZ Midday Report 4 mins of comments on aspects of NZ’s just released Emissions Reduction Plan by Mani Dunlop and Sally Brooker (17May2022)
Hydrogen car-share scheme in Auckland by The Warehouse, Air NZ, Saatchi and Saatchi, TVNZ, Beca, Westpac, Spark and Z Energy, using 4 Toyota Mirai with a 500 km range using 4.6 kg H2 (22Apr2022)
Emirates Team NZ H2-chase boat is up on its foils (7Apr2022; earlier 4 Feb 2022)
1GW offshore wind electricity generation for Taranaki? (Stuff, 29Mar2022). NB in 2020 NZ had total of 9.3GW of electricity generating capacity (and needs to x2 or x3 this to replace energy from fossil fuels).
Andy Sinclair (Hyundai NZ CEO) OpEd on H2 trucks will be on NZ roads this year (Newsroom, 22Mar2022)
Southern Green Hydrogen shortlists partners (16 Feb 2022)
Emirates Team NZ H2-chase boats (4 Feb 2022)
Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) and Refining NZ have signed an MoU to investigate repurposing facilities at the Marsden Point oil refinery for the production of green H2 (FFI press release, 16 Dec 2021)
Brooker Op-Ed “An urgent step change from fossil to future fuels” (Newsroom 12 Dec 2021)
Air NZ releases their ZERO-e aircraft PRD (product requirements document), Dec 2021
Ministers Megan Woods and James Shaw, along with Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel, launched Christchurch International Airport Limited’s Kōwhai Park renewable energy precinct (150 MW) 1Dec2021.
Christopher Boyle, co-founder and CEO of AFCryo, talks with Kim Hill about green hydrogen playing a key role in our future (Radio NZ, 27 Nov 2021)
Brooker op-ed “NZ in the box seat on hydrogen” (Newsroom, 12 Nov 2021)
ElectricAir 2 seater electric plane (not hydrogen!) hops Cook Strait (1 Nov 2021)
Brooker interviewed as part of COP26 series for TV1 news, this one on green hydrogen (25 October 2021)
Brooker talked with Hon Dr Megan Woods about green hydrogen (photo: Wigram electorate office staff, 25 October 2021)
German and NZ funding confirmed for green hydrogen team building (Otago University press release 20 Oct; ODT 20 Oct 2021; Helmholz Zentrum hereon press release 26 Oct 2021)
Chris Dunphy director of Move Logistics talks with Kim Hill about green hydrogen replacing diesel in heavy trucks and coastal shipping of freight (Radio NZ, 9 Oct 2021)
Air NZ signs MOU with Airbus ZERO-e (AirNZ, Airbus, Stuff, Newsroom, 16 Sept 2021); ODT interview Brooker (18 Sept 2021), and also please note our German collaborators Hereon-Airbus-Hamburg airport hydrogen infrastructure program (Hereon, 22 Mar 2021)
Air NZ aims to be flying zero-emission planes by 2030 (Stuff, 14 Sept 2021)
Sounds Air locks in a deal to be flying electric planes by 2026 (Stuff, 18 Aug 2021)
The future of gas: chewing over the green-hydrogen cooked sausage; HyLink electrolyser and BBQ Utube (Stuff, 6 Sept 2021)
Air NZ wanted Climate Commission to go faster (Stuff, 5 August 2021)
Murihiku Regeneration and Fortescue Future Industries signs collaboration agreement to develop large scale Green Hydrogen plant in NZ (Murihiku Regeneration news, 2 August 2021)
How ‘green’ hydrogen gas can help us protect the climate (Stuff, 2 August 2021)
Tiwai smelter power could be diverted to hydrogen by 2023 (RNZ, 1 August 2021)
Green energy facility vision (front cover ODT, 23 July 2021), includes quotes from Brooker
The hydrogen problem: how much electricity will make it worthwhile? (Stuff, 23 July 2021), includes quotes from Brooker
Contact/Meridian report released on green H2 in NZ (21 July 2021)
Hamburg: Testing maintenance and ground processes for future aircraft generations (DLR news, 8 July 2021)
Research into hydrogen funded (NZ Herald, 27 June 2021)
Great to see NZ’s biggest grid-connected solar farm opened = Kapuni Solar Power Plant in Taranaki (Stuff, 21 June 2021).
Research into geological storage of H2 in NZ (Stuff, May 2021)
Interview Brooker on H2 (MindFood, June 2021 issue, see page 25)
(not H2!) NZ coal use for electricity generation surges (RNZ, 11 June 2021).
International interest validates H2 at Tiwai; Brooker update on green H2 (ODT, May 2021)
Lake Onslow pumped hydro: possible tunnel to the Taeri River (8May2021)
Australian interested in Tiwai for hydrogen export (May 2021)
Dr Dave Lowe on Climate Change and hydrogen (The Guardian 9May2021)
First Gas announces plan for staged shift from natural gas to hydrogen in their North Island pipeline (Mar 2021); TV1 interview including Taranaki Instrument Services H2 BBQ (Mar 2021)
Contact Energy announces new wind farm in Southland (Mar 2021)
NZ Climate Change Commission (CCC) predictions for NZ renewable energy (Mar 2021); concerns from restaurants and households re CCC recommendations re LPG (Mar 2021)
import Australian LPG? (Mar 2021) – or find a better solution!
NZ’s first H2 bus built by GBV in Rolleston, NZ (Jan 2021), now delivered to Ports of Auckland, NZ
German-NZ Green Hydrogen Alliance clears first hurdle; Brooker interviewed for ODT article 18Feb2021 (Feb 2021)
Tiwai will now make green Al until end of 2024 so there is time to plan the transition (eg. to green H2); more news; more news
(not H2 but interesting = hyperscale data storage in Southland)
Green H2 in Southland scoping study (Contact Energy/Meridian)
Govt backs changing process heat to reduce CO2 emissions
H2 versus electrification of trains (interview of Prof Susan Krumdieck)
Ngai Tahu green H2 at Tiwai
Hiringa H2 refuelling stations and heavy trucks
Ambitious proposals for surplus electricity once Tiwai closes (Radio NZ, interview of Williams and Brooker, August 2020)
Grant (5 years) to a team made up of GNS, Canterbury, Otago and Auckland Universities (NZ Herald, Sept 2020)
Mokai geothermal H2
Not so modest proposals for Tiwai (Spinoff, article by Gaston, Brooker, Hodgkiss, Williams, Dec 2019)
Taranaki Energy Development Centre renamed https://www.araake.co.nz/
H2 in NZ – A study of the potential economics of hydrogen technologies in New Zealand by Concept Consulting (January 2019)
HyLink – NZ designed and built household electrolyser for instant heat and cooking
NZ Hydrogen Council (CEO Dr Linda Wright)