Bp Australia has taken a leap forward on its path to net zero with the commencement of construction of the first hydrogen refueller at a service station in Australia.
Under a partnership with BOC, the hydrogen refuelling station will be installed at a bp truckstop in Lytton, Queensland. The Queensland Government’s fleet of five hydrogen-powered Hyundai NEXOs will be the first to use the new refueller once it’s opened later this year.
BOC will supply and install the state-of-the-art Linde hydrogen refuelling station. It will dispense green hydrogen produced by BOC at its Bulwer Island production site, just 10 minutes from the bp truckstop in Lytton. The green hydrogen will be produced by a 220kW electrolyser powered by solar energy generated onsite.
John Evans, Managing Director of BOC South Pacific said the partnership with bp Australia was an important step forward in developing a hydrogen refuelling service station network in Queensland.
“BOC is committed to supporting the development of hydrogen as a zero emissions fuel and decarbonising the transport sector in Australia.
“Working closely with our partner bp we will demonstrate how state-of-the-art hydrogen refuelling stations can be safely integrated into the existing service station network, paving the way for more infrastructure to facilitate hydrogen trucks and buses.
“We look forward to opening this facility to the public in the future, and working with our project partners ARENA, the Queensland Government and bp to showcase a world class end-to-end green hydrogen production, storage, supply and refuelling solution.”
Frédéric Baudry, president, bp Australia and SVP fuels and low carbon solutions, Asia Pacific, said that bp is proud to be partnering with BOC and the Queensland Government in the development of Australia’s first green hydrogen refueller on an existing service station.
“Hydrogen will play an important part in the future energy and mobility mix, and partnerships – such as this one between Government, BOC and bp – will be essential in decarbonising industry and transport. Bp has extensive industrial experience with hydrogen and is now linking that with our expertise in supplying energy to the world, creating end-to-end offers and decarbonisation solutions for our customers. We are excited to be developing and deploying innovative offers that meet the changing mobility needs of our customers today and for the future.”
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick De Brenni said it was critical that locally made fuel continued to be available to power our heavy transport sector as it moved to lower its emissions and looked forward to supporting more green hydrogen initiatives from traditional fuel suppliers.
“The importance of this for our economic future cannot be overstated because this is another link in the supply chain, ensuring Queensland cements its status as a global force in the hydrogen industry.
“From hydrogen-powered trucks and coaches to trains and marine vessels, we are exploring every opportunity to capitalise on the opportunities of Queensland’s energy transformation,” he said.
The hydrogen refuelling station will have capacity to refill a hydrogen car in three to five minutes and will in future be made available to drivers with a bp plus card who register with bp for access to the supply of hydrogen.
Linde has installed more than 200 hydrogen refuelling stations globally and successfully completed the hydrogen refuelling of more than 1.5 million cars, buses, and forklifts.