Hydrogen report guiding the way for hydrogen integration across New Zealand

New Zealand benefits by integrating a new and renewable alternative to fossil fuel

A major project came to fruition this year with the publication of the Hydrogen Standards Review report. Commissioned by WorkSafe – Energy Safety and developed with a Technical Advisory Group consisting of 18 New Zealand companies and agencies, this is the culmination of a three-year review into technical standards governing the production, distribution, and utilisation of hydrogen. ‘Green’ hydrogen made through electrolysis that is powered by renewable energy offers emissions-reduction potential as a fuel of the future, both domestically and as a future export earner.

The report contains a standards development implementation strategy looking at 10 key application-specific areas requiring direct adoption and modification of appropriate international standards and modification of Joint Australian/New Zealand standards.

This work is laid out over a multi-year prioritisation plan to enable the scaling of safe integration of hydrogen across New Zealand’s energy landscape. The revision and adoption of standards to develop the framework is planned to happen across three phases: centralised stationary production and storage of hydrogen (the built facilities to store hydrogen), mobile applications of hydrogen (use in transportation and refuelling) and large- scale decentralised distribution to scale access across the country.