Pure Hydrogen Corp signs deal to trial hydrogen fuel cell waste collection truck

Australian clean energy company Pure Hydrogen Corporation (ASX: PH2) will provide a hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) electric waste collection truck to Australian company Solo Resource Recovery for the servicing of municipal contracts including Tweed Shire Council in northern New South Wales.

An agreement signed by the companies will allow for a six-month trial of a side-loading general household waste collection vehicle in the new year, during which time Pure Hydrogen will deliver maintenance services and supply 99.97% purity hydrogen fuel for re-fuelling purposes.

Solo will pay a rental fee of $82,500 (including taxes) as well as all hydrogen usage and maintenance costs.

Range and re-fuelling

The HFC waste collection truck is expected to have a range of 300 kilometres before needing to re-fuel.

The truck will output zero greenhouse gas emissions from the tailpipe under operating conditions, resulting in better air quality for local communities.

It is reported to be quieter than conventional waste collection trucks and is expected to significantly reduce neighbourhood noise.

HFC feasibility

The trial will allow Solo to determine the feasibility of the HFC truck under different operating conditions and presents an opportunity for participating local councils to determine how they can transition to the same technology.

After the trial period, Solo has the option to extend its lease on the trial vehicle and accept additional HFC waste collection trucks for progressive deployment across its operations in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

Key milestone

Pure Hydrogen managing director Scott Brown said the agreement was a key milestone for hydrogen-fuelled transport solutions in Australia.

“It reflects Solo’s confidence in our HFC trucks and follows the launch of our Taurus truck in May which is Australia’s first hydrogen-powered prime mover developed in collaboration with Hdrive and PepsiCo,” he said.

“Amid the ongoing expansion of Australia’s hydrogen vehicle industry, this agreement marks a strategic move by Solo to secure delivery slots and benefit from an early-mover advantage.”

Domestic interest

Following the Taurus launch event, domestic interest in Pure Hydrogen’s hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles ramped up significantly and the company is now in discussions with interested parties and prospective commercial partners.

“This agreement is an example of the progress we continue to make towards the supply of hydrogen vehicles and hydrogen fuel sources to our customers,” Mr Brown said.

“Pure Hydrogen continues to plan out a network to support the commercialisation phase of these vehicles and our commitment to establishing turquoise and emerald hydrogen hubs will enable us to deliver carbon-negative, low-cost hydrogen into the marketplace.”

Privately-owned company

Solo is a privately-owned waste management company conducting kerbside collections for councils across Australia and servicing over 1.2 million bins per week.

Solo national fleet manager Mark Taylor said he was pleased to be signing up with Pure Hydrogen.

“We are proud to be trialling this new waste collection vehicle with the aim of initially using it in the Tweed Region which is where we commenced operations over 90 years ago,” he said.

“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.”