Gas and engineering company BOC and bp Australia have officially opened Australia’s first hydrogen refueller at a service station at the bp Port of Brisbane Truckstop in Lytton.
This milestone marks the completion of BOC’s Bulwer Island end-to-end renewable hydrogen demonstration project funded by BOC, Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Queensland Government and bp Australia.
BOC is producing renewable hydrogen at its Bulwer Island production site with a 220kW electrolyser powered by solar energy generated onsite. It is then transported in hydrogen tube trailers to the Linde hydrogen refuelling station located at the bp Port of Brisbane Truckstop.
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Queensland Government’s QFleet will use the facility to refill its current fleet of five-hydrogen powered Hyundai Nexos in approximately 3-5 minutes. Any member of the public with a hydrogen car can also register with bp to refill their passenger vehicle with a bp plus card.
BOC South Pacific managing director Binod Patwari said the project is an excellent example of two leading companies working together to leverage skills and existing infrastructure to progress the renewable hydrogen industry.
“BOC is proud to officially open this hydrogen refuelling station with bp Australia, which is a critical part of our Bulwer Island end-to-end renewable hydrogen project and demonstrates our commitment to progress hydrogen as a zero emissions fuel for transport.
“Our Bulwer Island production site is strategically located to supply renewable hydrogen to industrial and transport customers in Queensland. We are committed to scaling our hydrogen capabilities at this site in the future to support decarbonisation of high-emitting industries and working with government and industry to activate demand for hydrogen across Queensland.
“The successful integration of a hydrogen refuelling station at an existing service station has delivered key learnings that will pave the way for more hydrogen refuelling infrastructure across Australia’s service station network. Leveraging this existing infrastructure will be important to support the uptake of heavy transport particularly on major freight routes across Australia.
“We would like to thank our partners ARENA, Queensland Government and bp Australia for their support on this project, and look forward to delivering more hydrogen refuelling, production and supply projects in the future.”
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick De Brenni said Queensland’s green hydrogen industry is the next frontier in a world hungry for renewables and the greatest climate, jobs, and economic opportunity in a generation.
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“The decarbonisation of transport is one of the clearest routes to take as we travel towards our 2050 net-zero emissions target, and here in Queensland the rubber is hitting the road.
“Green hydrogen will be a game changer in decarbonising heavy haulage, shipping, manufacturing, and aviation–slashing emissions, helping tackle climate change, and safeguarding our natural wonders for generations to come.
“Hydrogen in the vehicle network offers benefits in terms of range, payloads, and fast refuelling, so I could not be prouder that it’s Queenslanders driving the change in building the national East Coast Renewable Hydrogen Superhighway.”
