For nearly four years Viva Energy has been developing its hydrogen ambitions and the result of its hard work will be on display later this year with the construction of its first hydrogen refuelling station in Geelong.
In 2022, Viva Energy announced it would lead change in the zero-emissions sphere, determined to initiate an Australian hydrogen heavy vehicle revolution.
Last year, it announced it would open a service station in Geelong that would provide power for hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles in heavy vehicle fleets.
Now, as we move into 2023, construction is about to begin at Geelong in the first tangible step in Viva Energy’s goal to create a hydrogen highway of refuelling outlets along Australia’s eastern seaboard.
It is an ambitious project that brings together green hydrogen, a fleet of hydrogen-powered electric heavy vehicles, high-speed hydrogen-dispensing equipment and a group of Viva Energy’s commercial customers keen to replace diesel-powered trucks and buses with emissions-free vehicles of the future.
Since the announcement in 2022, Viva Energy’s Head of Hydrogen and EVs, Sandra Lau, has dedicated her efforts into designing and planning the historic refuelling station to make the dream come true.
“The key part of Viva Energy’s business is supplying transport fuels and more recently our customers are looking for a partner to help them transition to lower carbon options,” Lau told ABC.
“To do so, we knew we needed to develop our existing knowledge of hydrogen into different applications to help us make hydrogen fuel for buses and other heavy vehicles.”
The project in Geelong is the first of its kind in Australia.
Lau says the refuelling station project will bring together heavy vehicle operators, manufacturers, suppliers and governments in its bid to help build the biggest public-accessible hydrogen refuelling service station in Australia.
Under the plan, a number of Viva Energy’s commercial customers with fleets of heavy vehicles located in Geelong have committed to purchasing hydrogen powered heavy vehicles, which will return to the hydrogen refuelling station when required, while providing the industry with a unique experience in using and refuelling with hydrogen.
“Whether it be as an operator or as a member of the general public, to be able to drive and catch a hydrogen bus will be special,” Lau says.
“We think the general public will also cherish the chance to have their waste picked up in hydrogen fuel-cell waste trucks within the Geelong region.”
With all first-mover projects comes a series of challenges, and Viva Energy hasn’t been exempt.
Lau says these challenges, ranging from supply chain issues to safety and design requirements, come because Viva Energy is the first company in Australia to propose a hydrogen refuelling station at this scale.
With its role as a leader in the field in mind, Lau says Viva Energy hasn’t spared any details when it comes to the integration and design stages.
“As the process evolves, it’s clear the scale of what we’re trying to do is unparalleled in Australia,” Lau says.
“We believe our knowledge isn’t rivalled in Australia and part of that is because we have had to work on solutions to the challenges we have encountered throughout the design stage.
“This has given us unique insights into how hydrogen fuel-cell technology works in a commercial context and scale.”
While Viva Energy has engaged a range of consultants to help design the Geelong station and to assess potential risks with the project, it is also utilising its own experience as a Major Hazard Facility operator to set standards and ensure the station will meet all regulations with ease.
“The biggest challenge we’ve faced is something we don’t think too much about, which is that we’re the first in Australia to build a hydrogen service station of this size,” Lau says.
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| Viva Energy’s Sandra Lau |
“It means there aren’t many people to learn from and few to talk to about challenges and solutions – there’s so little history to rely on.”
The main option, Lau says, has been to seek guidance from overseas hydrogen projects in order to resolve issues that have come up locally.
The final hydrogen fuel station will reflect a collaboration between Viva Energy, its external and internal experts, deployment partners, suppliers and vehicle manufacturers.
“There’s a lot of trust and very strong relationships between all of us in this venture,” Lau says.
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“We’re fortunate that we can share what we need with our partners – this is where Viva Energy’s long-term focus on customer relationships has been beneficial and enabled the project to come to life.”
Lau is confident that what Viva Energy has learnt throughout the opening stages of the project puts it at the forefront of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in Australia.
Viva Energy is getting ready for construction to begin, finalising timeframes and organising the delivery of two large packages of equipment to the site; the electrolyser to produce the hydrogen and the high-speed refuelling equipment.
Ordering the hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles comes next, and then it’s all about getting the timing right.
“It’s a super exciting time – it’ll be amazing being able to touch, feel and see the parts of the project,” Lau says.
“It’ll provide evidence of the application of hydrogen in decarbonising the transport industry, while showing that heavy vehicles can be refuelled quickly.
“It’ll also provide the first data points on the use of hydrogen in commercial settings across a number of areas such as driver schedules, refuelling time required, how the vehicles run and other data that we don’t yet have.”
When construction begins, Lau will be able to witness Viva Energy’s vision being brought to life.
She says it won’t just be a landmark moment for both Viva Energy and the Geelong community, but also for the entire Australian transport industry.
“It’ll be really exciting to see hydrogen not just being spoken about, but also being built and operational in Geelong,” Lau says.
“We identify hydrogen as the way forward towards a lower carbon future and still hold the same ambitions to complete our east coast hydrogen network.”
Viva Energy’s hydrogen refuelling station project received a $22.8 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program and a contribution of $1 million from the Victorian government via the Renewable Hydrogen Commercialisation Pathways Fund.