Petrol retailer and refiner Ampol says it is preparing to move into hydrogen refuelling with a new partnership, but with vanishingly few fuel cell vehicles operational in Australia yet, it hasn’t yet committed publicly to a start date or location.
Ampol on Monday said it has signed up with US hydrogen equipment manufacturer and supplier OneH2 to supply mobile refuelling equipment using its trailer delivery and swaps system.Â
The company told The Driven it will announce where the new refuelling stations will be, when it has that information.Â
“Ampol will initially focus on back-to-base hydrogen operations and expect that heavier transport will primarily benefit early on,” a company spokesperson told The Driven.Â
They said the OneH2 equipment was unique because it was mobile refuelling, rather than an “expensive” permanent installation, which provides refuelling flexibility.Â
Ampol says it’s currently monitoring “a number” of renewable hydrogen production projects in Australia, as it looks for suppliers.Â
The company expects customers to come from heavy vehicle fleet operators, says Brent Merrick, Ampol executive general manager of new business.Â
OneH2 CEO Paul Dawson called the attitude towards hydrogen fuel in Australia over the last 18 months “forward-thinking” but acknowledged that it’s not an easy fuel to use.Â
“We have been pleasantly surprised and encouraged by Ampol’s forward-thinking strategy for hydrogen in the transport sector,” he said.
“Hydrogen as a transport fuel is not easy. Our experience in designing, manufacturing and deploying hydrogen equipment across the US over the last eight years, will allow us to accelerate its adoption in the Australian market.”
Rachel Williamson is a science and business journalist, who focuses on climate change-related health and environmental issues.