Plug Power Inc., a provider of comprehensive hydrogen solutions for the hydrogen economy, has announced the shipment of a 1 MW GenEco™ PEM electrolyser to HWR Hydrogen, a division of H.W. Richardson Group Limited, expanding Plug’s GenEco footprint across New Zealand and Australia.
The unit will be installed at HWR Hydrogen’s refuelling station in Invercargill, New Zealand, where it will produce hydrogen to support HWR’s fleet of dual-fuel hydrogen-diesel heavy trucks. The project represents another step in the development of New Zealand’s emerging hydrogen ecosystem, where locally produced hydrogen is increasingly being deployed to address emissions from heavy transport and other hard-to-decarbonize applications. It also builds on Plug’s existing presence in the country, including deployed electrolyser technology supporting Hiringa Energy’s green hydrogen refuelling network.
Across New Zealand and Australia, hydrogen projects are moving into real-world deployment across transportation, refuelling and industrial applications, ranging from distributed production serving local demand to major industrial projects requiring hundreds of megawatts of electrolyser capacity.
“What’s important about this project is not simply the size of the electrolyser. It’s what it represents,” said José Luis Crespo, CEO of Plug. “Plug is building a strong presence alongside this emerging market, with the technology and experience to support projects at every scale. As hydrogen adoption grows across New Zealand and Australia, we are positioned to grow with it.”
Once installed, the system will enable local hydrogen production at HWR Hydrogen’s Invercargill refuelling station, supporting the company’s dual-fuel fleet while helping establish the infrastructure required for broader hydrogen adoption across Southland and the South Island.
“We’re looking forward to installing the Plug GenEco electrolyser equipment, which we will use at our refuelling station initially to supply hydrogen for Change Fuel Technologies built dual-fuel trucks operated by HWR and other customers across the Southland region. The station will also be ready to refuel OEM-supplied hydrogen vehicles for HWR companies and the wider industry as they become available,” said Gareth Wishart, GM Technology & Innovation at HWR. “Bringing Plug equipment and capabilities to Invercargill is about proving out a model we can extend across the South Island as adoption grows.”
Plug’s work with HWR adds to a growing portfolio across Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, Plug was selected to supply a 50 MW GenEco PEM electrolyser system for Orica’s Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub, the largest renewable hydrogen project in Australia to reach FID, which is expected to produce approximately 4700 tpy of renewable hydrogen. In New Zealand, Plug technology is already deployed to support Hiringa Energy’s green hydrogen refuelling network.