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Hydrogen production facility to be set up at geothermal plant in New Zealand

Hydrogen production facility to be set up at geothermal plant in New Zealand Mokai geothermal plant, New Zealand (source: ThinkGeoEnergy, creative commons)
Alexander Richter 9 Apr 2019

New Zealand-Japanese joint venture Halcyon Power engages Canadian Hydrogenics Corp. to install a 1.5 MW hydrogen production facility at the Mokai geothermal power plant in New Zealand. The plant is to start production by 2020.

In an announcement this week, Canada-based Hydrogenics Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of hydrogen generation, fueling equipment and hydrogen-based fuel cell power modules, reports it has entered into an agreement with Halcyon Power – a joint venture of New Zealand-based Tuaropaki Trust and Obayashi Corporation of Japan – to supply a carbon-free hydrogen production facility in New Zealand.

The 1.5 MW hydrogen production project is scheduled to be in operation by 2020 and will be a valuable asset supporting joint research and development initiatives by Tuaropaki Trust and Obayashi Corporation, which are working towards implementing a hydrogen supply chain for New Zealand and Japan. The “green” (carbon neutral) hydrogen will be generated using electricity from stable, cost-effective geothermal energy in Mokai, Taupo, located adjacent to an existing Tuaropaki power plant. In New Zealand the use of hydrogen shows strong potential to be a critical component for the energy industry, where approximately 80% of domestic power is already generated from renewable energy sources. This project will allow these abundant renewables to be more easily exported in the form of hydrogen to other countries.

“We are very pleased to be supplying products and services to support Halcyon Power as they work towards the development of an emissions-free, hydrogen-based energy sector,” said Daryl Wilson, President & CEO of Hydrogenics. “We continue to see increased worldwide interest in the development of hydrogen fueling stations and integration of hydrogen into the existing national energy infrastructure. We applaud companies in New Zealand and Japan for taking steps that help demonstrate the value of hydrogen to supply domestic and foreign markets with renewable power. Demand for hydrogen-based energy solutions continues to grow, and we look forward to a long relationship with Halcyon.”

Hydrogenics will provide an onsite hydrogen production plant using the Company’s industry-leading, large-scale containerized PEM electrolysis technology – capable of producing up to 250Nm3 per hour of hydrogen. This proprietary application offers the smallest footprint and highest power density in the market, with modular capacities allowing it to be scaled to meet a variety of input and output ranges.

Source: Press Release via Hydrogenics