Australia’s first service station hydrogen refueler opens

This milestone marks the completion of BOC’s Bulwer Island end-to-end renewable hydrogen demonstration project funded by BOC, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the Queensland Government, and bp Australia.

BOC is producing renewable hydrogen at its Bulwer Island production site with a 220 kW electrolyzer powered by solar energy generated onsite. It is then transported in hydrogen tube trailers to the Linde hydrogen refueling station located at the bp Port of Brisbane Truckstop.

Binod Patwari, Managing Director of BOC South Pacific said the project is an excellent example of two leading companies working together to leverage skills and existing infrastructure to progress the renewable hydrogen industry.

BOC is proud to officially open this hydrogen refuelling station with bp Australia, which is a critical part of our Bulwer Island end-to-end renewable hydrogen project and demonstrates our commitment to progressing hydrogen as a zero-emissions fuel for transport. Our Bulwer Island production site is strategically located to supply renewable hydrogen to industrial and transport customers in Queensland. We are committed to scaling our hydrogen capabilities at this site in the future to support the decarbonisation of high-emitting industries and working with the government and industry to activate demand for hydrogen across Queensland, Binod Patwari said.

The successful integration of a hydrogen refuelling station at an existing service station has delivered key learnings that will pave the way for more hydrogen refuelling infrastructure across Australia’s service station network. Leveraging this existing infrastructure will be important to support the uptake of heavy transport particularly on major freight routes across Australia. We would like to thank our partners ARENA, Queensland Government and bp Australia for their support on this project, and look forward to delivering more hydrogen refuelling, production and supply projects in the future, said Binod Patwari.

Minister for Energy, Renewables, and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said Queensland’s green hydrogen industry is the next frontier in a world hungry for renewables and the greatest climate, jobs, and economic opportunity in a generation.

The decarbonization of transport is one of the clearest routes to take as we travel towards our 2050 net-zero emissions target, and here in Queensland, the rubber is hitting the road. Green hydrogen will be a game changer in decarbonizing heavy haulage, shipping, manufacturing, and aviation–slashing emissions, helping tackle climate change, and safeguarding our natural wonders for generations to come. Hydrogen in the vehicle network offers benefits in terms of range, payloads, and fast refueling, so I could not be prouder that it’s Queenslanders driving the change in building the national East Coast Renewable Hydrogen Superhighway, Minister Mick de Brenni said.

BOC is playing a critical role in the development of a renewable hydrogen industry in Australia, proving the case for a practical fleet of passenger vehicles powered by hydrogen, starting with a trial of five vehicles by the Queensland Government’s QFleet. Projects like this are vital in helping to improve the business case for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, particularly with the potential of transitioning heavy vehicle truck fleets in the future. We congratulate BOC on the completion of their project which will no doubt help to provide a pathway for other companies looking to transition their vehicle fleets to renewable hydrogen, said Darren Miller, CEO of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

bp has brought its global expertise to demonstrate safe, fast, and reliable handling of hydrogen refueling to this pilot project in partnership with BOC as project lead, and with support from the Queensland Government and ARENA.

The refuelling station is part of bp’s global commitment to provide customers and partners with the energy and mobility they want, where they want it. bp believes hydrogen will play a critical role in reaching net zero – it’s complementary to electrification and pivotal in the decarbonization of hard-to-abate transportation sectors. So, the opening of this refueler is particularly exciting. By safely integrating a hydrogen fueler into our service station network, we’re showing that existing infrastructure can be used to facilitate hydrogen passenger vehicles, said Frédéric Baudry, President, bp Australia and SVP Fuels and Low Carbon Solutions, Asia Pacific.

By working collaboratively with partners like BOC and the Queensland Government, we’re able to support customers as more hydrogen-powered vehicles start to hit the road. bp believes hydrogen-powered vehicles, alongside EVs and biofuels for existing ICE vehicles, offer customers more choices for their evolving mobility needs, said Amanda Woollard, bp VP of Marketing Asia Pacific.

We congratulate BOC and bp on the launch of their new hydrogen refuelling facility in Brisbane. This critical piece of infrastructure will be a key driver of the growth of Queensland’s hydrogen ecosystem and the hydrogen mobility sector in particular. HMCA was delighted to deliver the Queensland Government’s first five hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (NEXO SUVs) and looks forward to supporting more Aussie customers in the future as we make the transition to clean hydrogen fuel, said John Kett, Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai Motor Company Australia.