Applications

There are many ways of applying solar, hydrogen, and other renewable energy technology across a huge range of industries. Below are some application summaries to offer some information, resources, and tools to start a journey of research and investigation.

Best Use Cases for Hydrogen Adoption explains where fuel cells are most likely to deliver practical, commercial and decarbonisation value in New Zealand.

Power, Resilience and Electricity

• Solar battery systems for farming
• Hydrogen power systems in Aotearoa New Zealand today
• Critical backup power with hydrogen
• Remote and off-grid power with hydrogen
• Mobile and temporary hydrogen power generation
• Farms, Marae and isolated community site resilience
• Construction sites and infrastructure projects
• Telecommunications and essential services
• Hybrid battery and fuel cell micro-grids
• Renewable energy firming
• Electricity peaking and demand response
• Longer duration and seasonal storage
• When is hydrogen a good choice for power solutions?
• Different choices for solar batteries
• Solar array installation options

Transport and Refuelling

• Hydrogen transport solutions in Aotearoa New Zealand today
• From Chase Zero to Barcelona
• Future hydrogen powered vehicles in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Long-haul road freight using hydrogen
• Small-scale FCEV refuelling
• Return-to-base truck fleets with hydrogen
• Fuel cell electric trucks
• Hydrogen-diesel dual fuel vehicles
• Hydrogen buses and coaches
• Hydrogen refuse, concrete, milk collection, and bulk haulage vehicles
• Fleet refuelling depots
• Hydrogen corridors and public stations
• Vehicle range, payload, and refuelling time
• Total cost of ownership for hydrogen vehicles
• Fuel cell versus battery electric suitability

Industrial Hydrogen and Process Heat

• Steam, hot water, and hot gases
• High temperature furnaces and kilns
• Direct flame requirements
• Dairy and food processing
• Meat processing
• Timber drying
• Hydrogen combustion
• Fuel cell combined heat and power
• Hybrid systems
• When electricity, heat pumps, biomass or geothermal energy are preferable

Off-Road and Material Handling

• Forklifts and warehouse equipment using hydrogen
• Port vehicles and container handling equipment
• Cranes
• Mining and quarry equipment
• Construction machinery
• Forestry equipment

Renewable Integration and Energy Storage

• Producing hydrogen from renewable electricity
• Onsite wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal production
• Intraday and multiday storage
• Seasonal storage
• Dry-year electricity resilience
• Grid peaking
• Demand response
• Converting hydrogen back to electricity
• Heat recovery from electrolysers and fuel cells
• Efficiency losses through the complete energy chain

Primary Industries

• Hydrogen, fertiliser and ammonia
• Remote farm and forestry power with hydrogen
• Agricultural machinery with hydrogen
• Milk collection and rural freight with hydrogen
• Seasonal renewable production of hydrogen
• Backup power using hydrogen for refrigeration, pumping, and processing
• Hydrogen power where electrical connections are constrained
• Rural hydrogen production, storage, handling, and infrastructure

Marine, Aviation and E-Fuels

• Hydrogen powered water craft
• Coastal shipping
• Hydrogen powered ferries and harbour vessels
• Direct hydrogen marine propulsion
• Sustainable aviation fuel eSAF
• Hydrogen powered regional aviation
• Hydrogen powered airport ground operations
• Bunkering, storage, and handling infrastructure
• Liquid hydrogen production and storage

Hydrogen Supply, Hubs, and Exports

• Te Horo hydrogen blending pilot
• Hydrogen supply in Aotearoa New Zealand today
• Planned hydrogen supply in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Planned hydrogen hubs across Aotearoa New Zealand
• Fleet and industrial demand aggregation for hydrogen usage
• Hydrogen production at ports
• Hydrogen refuelling corridors
• Gaseous hydrogen distribution
• Ammonia, methanol and other hydrogen carriers
• Hydrogen certification and proof of production pathway
• Low-emissions hydrogen supply chains
• Hydrogen export opportunities
• Water, electricity, land, and consenting requirements for hydrogen projects

Specialist Industrial Uses

• Replacing existing fossil-derived hydrogen
• Ammonia and fertiliser
• Methanol and other chemicals
• Refining and pretrochemicals
• Fodo processing and hydrogenation
• Pharmaceuticals
• Protective and reducing atmospheres
• Glass manufacturing
• Metals and steel
• Semiconductor manufacturing
• Additive manufacturing
• Laboratory gasses
• Leak detection and specialist instrumentation