HMCA outlines future H2 plans for Australia and heavy FCEV freight network
HYUNDAI Motor Company Australia (HMCA) is investing in a new Sydney-based hydrogen-vehicle refuelling station as part of its ongoing commitment to expand the Australian hydrogen-mobility sector.
The company says that in addition to supporting its own range of hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), the $1.7 million facility will cooperate with Australian gas technology company ENGV as a proof-of-concept model that may eventually give rise to a country-wide network of refuelling stations such as those that have been established in Germany, South Korea, China, Japan, and in parts of the United States.
Located at HMCA’s corporate headquarters in Macquarie Park, the state-of-the-art facility will produce up to 20kg of its own green hydrogen, which is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity, each day via an integrated electrolyser. The installation is expected to be operational later this year and will replace the current infrastructure, which has operated on the site since 2014.
HMCA says the new hydrogen refuelling facility will not only enable faster refuelling of its expanding range of FCEVs – its 700bar capacity is capable of replenishing the Hyundai Nexo FCEV in under five minutes – but enable the company to showcase the benefits of hydrogen mobility technologies to external stakeholders.
“This investment forms part of Hyundai’s long-term commitment to a zero-emission future for Australia. Hydrogen fuel-cell mobility is anticipated to play an integral role in the country’s transition to cleaner drivetrains and we intend to help lay the steppingstones toward making this vision a reality,” HMCA chief executive officer Ted Lee explained.
HMCA selected US-based PDC Machines and IVYS Energy Solutions to supply the hydrogen refuelling station, known as SimpleFuelFast, while ENGV was responsible for local integration, installation and ongoing operational services.
The engagement follows the announcement of the CSIRO’s Victorian Hydrogen Hub in mid-2021, which will see ENGV, PDC Machines and IVYS Energy Solutions working in unison to construct a hydrogen-vehicle refuelling system at the national science agency’s Clayton facility.
ENGV CEO Sean Blyth says HMCA’s new Sydney facility will leverage the experience gained through the Victorian CSIRO project, as well as the company’s delivery of its first public hydrogen-vehicle refuelling station, which was commissioned by the ACT Government in Canberra.
“We are excited to bring our hands-on experience developing hydrogen refuelling infrastructure across Australia to the HMCA project. Together with Hyundai, we are committed to growing the country’s hydrogen sector in a safe and sustainable way,” Mr Blythe said.
In recent years, HMCA has successfully deployed its Nexo FCEV into the ACT and Queensland state governments’ vehicle fleets and says it anticipates a growing market for its advanced hydrogen technologies in Australia – not only passenger and commercial vehicles, but also in stationary power applications.
Speaking to GoAuto this week, HMCA’s Senior Manager of Future Mobility & Government Relations and Co-Founder and Director of the Australian Hydrogen Council, Scott Nargar, said that Hyundai was working with government and industry stakeholders across Australia to realise hydrogen mobility projects. HMCA’s ultimate aim was to see a connected hydrogen-vehicle refuelling network established nationwide.
“Recent departmental changes within Hyundai will allow EV and FCEV teams to concentrate on their respective areas of research and development, and maximise resources and capabilities moving forward,” Mr Nargar said of the recent announcement that Hyundai had shelved its hydrogen development program (see links below).
“From an Australian viewpoint, it means we’ll be able to deploy (FCEV) vehicles more quickly now. We’ve got good demand for hydrogen vehicles in Australia, and I think the core focus for Hyundai – as well as other manufacturers that are involved in the development of automotive hydrogen technology – is to get refuelling hubs like the one we’ve commissioned in Sydney up and running in other states and territories.
“Beyond that, we need to focus on extending the number of refuelling hubs available – we need to look at redundancy. We’re really keen to see two or three hubs in each of the main cities so that there is not only redundancy, but an opportunity to deploy vehicles in much greater volumes, whether that’s light or heavy vehicles, forklifts, or even stationary engines,” he added.
Currently, Australia has singular hydrogen-vehicle refuelling stations in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, though not all are available for public use. Mr Nargar said it was clear that many more hydrogen filling hubs would need to be rolled out to make the technology viable – especially if hydrogen was to eventually replace diesel as the primer driver of Australia’s $101.5 billion road-freight industry.
“We’ve had a lot of requests (for our hydrogen-powered Xcient FC trucks and buses) from across Australia. They are not only a very real alternatives to diesel-powered heavy vehicles but, given their consumption of around 50kg of hydrogen per day on average, represent a great return on investment for those people developing hydrogen-vehicle refuelling assets across the country,” Mr Nargar told Go Auto.
“With cars, it’s hard to justify larger hydrogen-vehicle refuelling stations, but with a couple of truck or bus fleets, and a number of passenger cars, it really starts to make sense. Those are the types of programs we’re looking at.
“We’re also looking at where these stations could be deployed. If there is a warehouse next door, for example, you can run the forklifts off it, and a multifunction side to this business, to make sure it’s run at capacity, is something that will make investors want to build the next station, and the next,” he enthused.
Referencing hydrogen-vehicle refuelling stations networks in other countries, and the proposed Hydrogen Highway project along the Western Australian coast, Mr Nargar said it was possible that by spacing stations within a reasonable distance of one another would help to foster interest in the hydrogen-mobility sector, in much the same way electric vehicle charging infrastructure had for electric passenger cars.
“Having hydrogen-vehicle filling stations placed within a reasonable distance of each other will mean we can start to ramp up the rollout of our product and maximise the throughput at these stations. In turn, that will help the industry secure further funding, which is really key to getting the whole project underway.
Given the success hydrogen trucks and buses have enjoyed in other markets, we’re confident we could have similar conversion levels here. Heavy vehicle fleets really are the key,” Mr Nargar reiterated.
Already available in China, Europe and North America, the Hyundai Xcient FC is equipped with a 180kW hydrogen fuel cell system comprising two 90kW stacks.
Hyundai says the fuel-cell system has been specifically adapted to meet the durability and range demands of commercial fleet operators and quotes a system output figure of 350kW and 2237Nm. Fuel storage of approximate 31kg of hydrogen fuel is handled by seven large tanks with supplemental power supplied by three 72kWh high voltage batteries.
The maximum driving range of the Xcient FC is around to 400km when loaded (16,300kg payload) and refuelling takes anywhere from eight to 20 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature.
Hyundai currently sells its hydrogen-powered Xcient FC truck and bus range in left-hand-drive configuration only, but Mr Nargar told GoAuto that the company was working with markets including New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, South Africa, and others to develop an opportunity for a right-hand-drive version of the current generation truck, which may include market-specific specialist conversion centres like those of American pick-up importers ASV and Walkinshaw.
“That’s something we’re looking at right now, and again, the factory is also looking at timing for right-hand drive. So, we’ll continue to try and stay in front of the market, because we know the demand is here,” he said.
Beyond the obvious environmental benefits, Mr Nargar said a shift toward hydrogen power would also help Australia’s fuel security.
Citing past and recent disruptions to fuel supplies, and the ongoing volatility of fuel prices (in relation to global demand), he said Australia had an opportunity to invest in its own fuel security while simultaneously creating jobs and export opportunities.
“As a country, we also need to reduce our emissions and, in a way, we’re in a lucky position. We might be behind the US and Europe, but we have an opportunity to learn from their experiences and become quite competitive. We can develop a highly skilled workforce and, more than that, we can reduce our energy supply issues and even export hydrogen to places like Japan and Korea,” Mr Nargar emphasised.
“Look at the job opportunities off the back of this, and the fact that global light- and heavy-vehicle fleets are evolving because of emissions requirements. Look at what happened with AdBlue shortage that occurred over Christmas. Look also at how few refineries we have left in this country.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a conflict, a natural disaster, or a pandemic, there are many things that can affect our fuel supply lines. If hydrogen is made here, we not only have fuel security, we have the big benefit of moving down the track of zero emissions vehicles – and that’s increasingly important,” he concluded.
Keyword: Hyundai commits to Aussie hydrogen future