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Inaugural New Zealand Hydrogen Symposium

The inaugural research-focused New Zealand Hydrogen Symposium (NZHS-1) was held in Dunedin, Ōtākou, 1-3 February 2023, with a great turnout from both around Aotearoa and many international partners.

The co-chairs of this first of the annual conferences were Prof Sally Brooker, Dr Paul Jerabek and A/Prof Anna Garden; the two co-leaders of the German-NZ Green Hydrogen Centre He Honoka Hauwai and one of the principal grant researchers.

The symposium was opened with a mihi whakatau from Edward Ellison (Ōtākou, Ngāi Tahu), seen in the photo below, with Edward Ellison on the right.

During the opening mihi whakatau, with Edward Ellison on the far right

In this recording, delegates were welcomed to the inaugural NZ Hydrogen Symposium by Tā Tipene O’Regan and challenged with the opportunities NZ has with regard to green hydrogen.

A link to the video in which Tā Tipene O’Regan welcomes delegates to the inaugural NZ Hydrogen Symposium

Please see the symposium website for the fantastic national and international speakers.

The gifted name, logo and proverb. After the opening of NZHS-1, from left to right: A/Prof Anna Garden (Otago), Prof David Murdoch (Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago), Dr Paul Jerabek (Hereon), Dr Klaus Taube (Hereon), Dr Michael Feiner (Deputy head of mission, German Embassy Wellington), Terry Nicholas (Murihiku Regeneration, Manager of Hokonui Rūnanga, Ngāi Tahu), Edward Ellison (Upoko o Ōtākou Runaka, Ngāi Tahu), Prof Sally Brooker (Otago). Photo: Sharron Bennett

Congratulations to the winners of student prizes:

Runner-up Student Poster: Christopher Mills
Best Student Poster: Kieran DeMonte
Best Student ‘Non-Hydrogen’ Poster: Sam McIntyre
Outstanding Student Flash Talks: Alex Haack AND Stella Steidl
Runner-up Contributed Student Talk: Niall Malone
Top Student Contributed Talk: Calum Gordon

Student Prize Winners at NZHS-1. From left to right, top: Best Poster, Kieran DeMonte; Outstanding Flash Talks, Alex Haack AND Stella Steidl. Middle: Best ‘Non-Hydrogen’ Poster, Sam McIntyre; Runner-up Poster, Christopher Mills; Top Contributed Talk, Calum Gordon. Bottom: Runner-up Contributed Talk winner Niall Malone during his talk. Photographer: Sharron Bennett.

 

We’re very grateful to all of the symposium’s sponsors and partners! A massive thank you to the University of Otago for hosting the inaugural event, as well as the Otago Energy Research Centre (OERC) and MacDiarmid Institute for sponsoring it, the team at Hyundai for bringing a NEXO hydrogen fuel cell car, and the student prize sponsors Fabrum, MacDiarmid Institute, Hiringa, H.W. Richardson, Meridian and OERC. We’re also grateful to BMBF and MBIE for a grant in support of the development of the German-NZ Green Hydrogen Alliance and Centre (He Honoka Hauwai), and for three German-NZ Green Hydrogen research grants.

 

Sponsors of NZHS-1

 

Sponsors for the student prizes at NZHS-1

 

Some of the many people instrumental in bringing everything together to form the German-NZ Green Hydrogen Alliance and Centre, He Honoka Hauwai, were able to be present at NZHS-1. Dr Regina Eisert the New Zealand-Germany Science and Innovation Coordinator from MBIE, is pictured below alongside the centre’s co-leaders Dr Paul Jerabek and Prof Sally Brooker. Dr Linda Wright, the chief executive of the New Zealand Hydrogen Council, New Zealand’s leading hydrogen agency, was also able to attend and is pictured below with Paul and Sally. The research focused NZ Hydrogen Symposium series is being supported by the NZ Hydrogen Council and will complement the industry focused H2 2 ZERO Summit first held by the Hydrogen Council in 2022 and confirmed for 7 & 8 September 2023 in Wellington. Both the Summits and the Symposia will be held on a recurring basis.

 

Please see the website for more information, have a look at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon’s article, and check back soon to see some more of the photos from the event.

 

The NZHS Planning Committee

This planning committee (PC) has oversight of the NZHS symposium series over the long term, and currently comprises (members listed more or less from North to South):

Jonathan Leaver (Unitec)
Ludmila (Mila) Adam (UoA, geology)
Geoffrey Waterhouse (UoA, chemistry)
Fei Yang (Waikato)
Kēpa Morgan (Mahi Maioro Professionals)
Jonathan Kitchen (Massey)
Paul Bennett (Scion)
Robert Holt (Callaghan)
Luke Liu (VUW)
John Kennedy (GNS)
Rebecca Peer (UoC, civil engineering)
Aaron Marshall (UoC, chemical engineering)
Simon Kelly (Lincoln)
Richard Blaikie (NZ Hydrogen Council research cmttee)
Linda Wright (NZ Hydrogen Council)
Aimee Kaio (Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu)
Anna Garden (Otago)  (co-chair NZHS-1)
Sally Brooker (Otago) (co-chair NZHS-1), current executive secretary of PC

Student representatives will soon be added, and improved diversity will be strived for.

 

Upcoming NZ Hydrogen Council meetings:

 

H2 2 ZERO Summit 7-8 Sept 2023, Wellington

NZHS-2, 31 Jan – 2 Feb 2024, Wellington

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