Pure Hydrogen (PH2) has selected an industrial site at Archerfield airport in Brisbane, Queensland, for its first demonstration of the green H₂ micro-hub to service commercial transport operators and the aviation industry. Green H₂ micro-hubs are one of the key planks in PH2’s strategy to kick start development of a domestic H₂ market.

These hubs, situated near potential customers, will produce green H₂ using onsite solar and green electricity to power module-built electrolyzers. These electrolyzers are delivered to site fully assembled and will offer 24-hr refueling for H₂ fuel cell vehicles.

The hubs are also designed to be easily scalable to meet increasing demand. PH2 itself is keen to help build such demand with its majority owned -owned subsidiary H-Drive International developing zero-emission solutions for the heavy-vehicle sector.

Its pipeline includes the Taurus truck, Australia’s first H₂-powered prime mover that is now available for purchase. It offers power, acceleration and range of more than 600 km while refueling takes just 15 minutes compared to the hours needed to recharge a battery. Other products include H₂ fuel cell waste removal trucks that are currently undergoing trials.

The company has now signed a 5-yr lease on a 4,000 m² industrial site at Archerfield airport, just 11 km from the Brisbane CBD, as its first step in developing a number of CAPEX light micro-hubs that can produce green H₂ using green electricity sourced from the grid.

It has already ordered the electrolyzer, expected to cost ~$880,000, which will crack water molecules into H₂ and oxygen atoms. Supply of 420 kg/d of green H₂ will begin Q4 2024 under the first stage of the Archerfield development, which will serve as the template for future micro-hubs.

Stage 1 will take up 1,000 m² of the 4,000 m² site, leaving room for potential scale-up when demand increases. CAPEX will be reduced using existing structures and infrastructure. All equipment, including the electrolyzer, will be housed in shipping containers that will be installed on any hard stand site.

“As we communicated in late 2023, Pure is committed to developing a number of low-cost micro-hubs to produce green H₂ for the commercial transport sector, and Archerfield marks the first step in this regard,” managing director Scott Brown said.

“As well as securing strategic sites, Pure can readily source proven, turnkey H₂ fuel manufacturing equipment and technology that can be deployed across multiple sites and easily connected to green electricity sources.

“Archerfield will be Pure’s demonstration H₂ micro-hub and the template for planned future plants. The first electrolyzer is on order. Pure plans to use strategically located H₂ micro-hubs that are close to customers and will assist in creating the ‘H₂ highway’ as a domestic source of clean H₂ fuel.

“Pure intends to seek hybrid funding and strategic partners to help build the national domestic H₂ infrastructure.” He added that the company will now focus on advancing site works so that the first green H₂ fuel can be supplied late in 2024.

“We look forward to providing updates as work gets underway. We are also making excellent progress with our sales pipeline of numerous commercial H₂ fuel cell vehicles which includes prime movers, buses and waste collection vehicles, and we look forward to updating shareholders on progress here as well.”