Both companies say the trial will be a great example of the viability of zero-emission hydrogen technology in Australia
Australian clean energy company Pure Hydrogen Corporation Limited announces it has executed a term sheet for the provision of a hydrogen fuel-cell waste collection truck for Australian waste management company Solo Resource Recovery to service their Municipal contracts including Tweed Shire Council in northern New South Wales.
The agreement with Solo includes further supply of HFC waste collection trucks, subject to conditions precedent including a successful six-month trial outcome.
Solo is a privately-owned Australian waste management company providing kerbside waste collections for councils across most regions in Australia, servicing more than 1.2 million bins per week. Pure Hydrogen’s HFCEV waste collection truck will be deployed for an initial period of six months to Solo’s municipal operations facilitating waste collections from households in 2024.
Pure Hydrogen says it is in the final stages of delivering Australia’s first hydrogen fuel cell refuse collection vehicle which is expected to be trialled soon. Pure Hydrogen has exclusive distribution rights for the truck design in Australia.
The truck to be supplied for the Solo trial is a side-loading, general household waste collection vehicle. The trial will allow Solo to determine the feasibility of the hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle under different operating conditions, and it is an opportunity for participating Councils to determine how they can transition to hydrogen fuelled electric waste collection vehicles, and the infrastructure to support the technology.
Solo Resource Recovery’s National Fleet Manager Mark Taylor says Solo is excited about the partnership.
"We are pleased to have signed this agreement with Pure Hydrogen and are proud to be trialling their Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric waste collection vehicle with the aim to initially trial the vehicle in the Tweed Region – the very region where Solo commenced operations over 90 years ago," Taylor says.
"Solo has always seen innovation as a core part of our long involvement in the Waste Industry. Our partnership with Pure Hydrogen is the natural next step to ensuring a resilient and sustainable waste sector. Our collaboration with Pure Hydrogen represents practical and real progress towards a realistic and achievable circular economy.
"Importantly, this potentially will enable our valued customers to transition toward a circular economy where the Environment, Consumers and Industry all benefit."
Pure Hydrogen says its HFC waste collection truck is expected to have a range of about 300 kilometres before needing to re- fuel. Initially, the re-fuelling for the trial will be conducted at Solo’s Chinderah depot with 99.97 per cent purity hydrogen supplied by Pure Hydrogen.
The truck's driving range will depend on the travel route, geography and number of services. The truck emits zero CO2 gas emissions from the tailpipe under operating conditions, resulting in better air quality for the communities for which it is to be trialled. Additionally, the vehicle is quiet, reducing noise by more than 70 per cent.
Pure Hydrogen Managing Director Scott Brown says the trial is a great test for the technology.
"This agreement is a key milestone for Hydrogen fuelled zero- emission transport solutions in Australia and reflects Solo’s confidence in, and commitment to, Pure Hydrogen’s HFC trucks," Brown says.
"Amid the ongoing expansion of Australia’s hydrogen vehicle industry, this term sheet marks a strategic move by Solo to secure delivery slots and benefit from an early-mover advantage.
"This agreement is consistent with Pure Hydrogen’s turn-key solutions strategy and is an example of the progress we continue to make towards the supply of both hydrogen vehicles and hydrogen fuel sources to our customers.
"Pure Hydrogen continues to plan out its network to support the commercialisation phase of the vehicles and our commitment to establishing turquoise and emerald hydrogen hubs will enable us to deliver carbon-negative, low-cost hydrogen into the marketplace."
