BOC partners with bp to build ‘Australian first’ green hydrogen refuelling facility

Share

Petrol and diesel retailer bp Australia has taken another step forward on its path to net zero with the commencement of construction of a green hydrogen refuelling facility at one of its service stations in Brisbane’s eastern suburbs.

BOC will supply and install the refuelling station at bp’s Port of Brisbane service station in Lytton, using technology developed by parent company Linde.

The refuelling facility will dispense green hydrogen produced by BOC at its nearby Bulwer Island production site. The green hydrogen will be produced by a 220 kW electrolyser powered by a 100 kW solar installation.

BOC said the Bulwer Island facility will produce up to 2,400 kilograms of green hydrogen a month, with up to 50kg made available daily for the refuelling station. It is expected the hydrogen refuelling station will have capacity to refill a hydrogen car in 3-5 minutes with the Queensland government’s current fleet of five hydrogen-powered Hyundai NEXOs set to be the first to use the facility when it opens in the next few months.

The facility has been described as the first in Australia to be installed at a public service station.

Image: bp

BOC South Pacific managing director John Evans said the partnership with bp Australia is 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,” he said. “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.”

For bp, which has committed to become a net zero company by 2050 at the latest, the facility serves as a pointer to the future with the company predicting green hydrogen will play a critical role in the future energy and mobility mix.

Frédéric Baudry, the president of bp Australia and head of its fuels and low carbon solutions business in the Asia Pacific, said hydrogen 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,” he said. “We are excited to be developing and deploying innovative offers that meet the changing mobility needs of our customers’ today and for the future.”

Queensland Enrgy Minister Mick de Brenni tours the Bulwer Island hydrogen plant.

Image: BOC

Queensland Energy Minister Mick De Brenni said the hydrogen refuelling stop will serve as a critical link in the vision for an east coast ‘hydrogen superhighway’, saying it is critical that locally made fuel continued to be available to power the nation’s heavy transport sector as it moved to lower its emissions.

“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,” he said.

“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.

“And here at Lytton, it will help Queensland power its way towards an emissions-free future as hydrogen-powered vehicles start to hit the road.”

The Lytton facility, which has been partially funded by ARENA and the Queensland government, joins two other publicly available hydrogen refuelling stations in Australia: one in Canberra run by ActewAGL, and another operated by Toyota at its former factory in Altona, Victoria.

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.