Hydrogen fuel station announced for Geelong

Geelong will soon be home to a $51.4 million hydrogen fuel station, thanks to a joint announcement made today by the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), and Viva Energy.

The new service station is designed to support the uptake of hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) in heavy commercial fleets from companies in the area, but will also include 150kW chargers for electric cars.

Funding from the Australian Government and ARENA amounting to $22.8 million will also help to subsidise the purchase and maintenance of 15 hydrogen trucks and buses for Toll Group, Cleanaway, Barwon Water, and ComfortDelGro Corporation.

“This funding from ARENA has opened the door for Viva Energy to work with long-term customers to demonstrate the important role that hydrogen will play in the future of transportation in Australia,” Viva Energy CEO Scott Wyatt said at the announcement.

“This project puts hydrogen-powered vehicles on the road to prove their value in day-to-day commercial operations, while reducing the carbon footprint of the heavy vehicle transport we rely on every day.”

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There are currently only a handful of hydrogen refuelling stations across the country, with Toyota and Hyundai lobbying the Government to encourage the uptake of the zero-emissions fuel.

This latest grant comes from the Australian Government’s second round of the Future Fuels Fund, with ARENA administering $127.9 million to fleet operators to switch to electric and hydrogen vehicles.

The first round of funding saw $24.55 million distributed to help build 403 electric vehicle fast chargers across Australia.