Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio has officially opened the new $61.2 million Viva Energy New Energies Service Station in Corio, Geelong.
The service station is located on one of Victoria’s key transport corridors, on the corner of the Princes Highway and Station Street. The station features a 2.5MW onsite electrolyser, which converts recycled water from Barwon Water and renewable electricity, into renewable hydrogen.
Related article: Viva Energy LNG terminal cleared for construction
The site will initially accommodate five buses and trucks refueling every day and ramp up to 12 to 15 vehicles over the next two years.
The station is designed to refuel 10 trucks or buses consecutively in under two hours, with a refuelling time of around 15 minutes for the average fill. Depending on the vehicle type and load, the average fill will provide a range of between 200-450km.
This is the first hydrogen project in Australia with both supply and demand on one site, with the production of hydrogen and the refueling of vehicles. The station also features charging options for electric vehicles.
As part of the project, Viva Energy will also deploy 15 hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles that will be on Victorian roads within two years and servicing a range of industries.
The project is a gateway for the expansion of renewable hydrogen transport and its potential to service industries that are traditionally hard to decarbonise.
Related article: Bell Bay Power Fuels tapped for Tas Green Hydrogen Hub
Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said, “We are supporting our emerging renewable hydrogen sector to expand and help industries like transport reduce their emissions, helping Victoria achieve net-zero emissions by 2045.”
The project was funded by the federal government’s $34 million investment through Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and a $1 million investment through the Victorian Government’s Renewable Hydrogen Commercialisation Pathways Fund.
