NEWS “We will roll out the 1.1MW electrolysers into the existing network where it makes the most sense,” says Jones. Jones says the dual fuel solution is an ideal course to transition the industry towards zero-emissions. “The capital investment needed to go 100% hydrogen is astronomical compared to the existing internal combustion engine. Dual fuel technology allows any modern truck to be converted although the design and the tuning will be slightly different depending on brands and roles,” he says. “I’m in no way against hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles but the capital cost is still very high compared to retro-fitting existing vehicles with a dual-fuel system. This will allow meaningful change to the whole industry. “But the cost of fuel cells will come down and more efficient ways of storing hydrogen will be developed. Dual-fuel is a way to establish the infrastructure that’s needed to support fuel cells in the future.” HWR already has some local dual-fuel experience. “We have had a truck on trial since August last year. We’re not seeing any drop in power at all. We’re not seeing any downsides and we have already learnt a lot.” Another benefit is the dual-fuel trucks can run on diesel alone if they need to travel beyond the available hydrogen network. “If you run out of hydrogen, you’re not going to end up with a truck stranded somewhere,” says Jones. Jones says figures indicate that a single dual-fuel truck running an average of 384km per day can eliminate 102kg of carbon emissions per day. “We have a fleet of 470 trucks just in the South Island so that would equate to 12.5 million kg of CO2 per year,” he says. “It’s still a drop in the ocean but it’s a first step to reducing carbon emissions and we need to move now. We know this is going to make a difference. “For the HWR Group and for Allied Petroleum this represents a big
HWR Group CEO Anthony Jones says the company aims to be a leader in the roll-out of hydrogen in New Zealand. step in our sustainability strategy. We aim to be the leader, but the entire industry can benefit from that,” says Jones. More hydrogen coverage: NZ Truck & Driver Associate Editor Brian Cowan looks at another New Zealand dual fuel project and the science behind hydrogen combustion engines starting on Page 69. T&D
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