Road Warrior: Hyzon Motors Passes Durability Test for Australian Mining Company, Delivering the World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Coach Fleet
- Hyzon completes 15,000-kilometer run before use in harsh, remote region in Western Australia, keeping delivery of 10 coaches on schedule
- Testing for Fortescue Metals Group showcased capabilities of zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell coach with up to 800km range
- Hyzon-Fortescue collaboration latest sign of increasing industrial, commercial support of hydrogen in $87.5 billion global coach, bus market
Hyzon Motors Inc. and its hydrogen fuel cell-powered coaches are ready to conquer the harsh mining landscape of Western Australia.
Hyzon, a leading global supplier of zero-emission, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, announced today that its transport coaches completed a 15,000-kilometer durability road test – a key tryout before one of the world’s largest iron-ore producers uses the vehicles in the remote Pilbara region.
Fortescue Metals Group has contracted for up to 10 of Hyzon’s custom-built coaches in the Christmas Creek mining hub, where summer temperatures commonly exceed 110 degrees. The endurance road test demonstrated the capability, effectiveness and strength of fuel cell stacks being discharged and recharged repetitively in harsh conditions.
The Hyzon-Fortescue collaboration is the latest sign of increasing industrial and commercial transition to hydrogen mobility and it comes as New York-based Hyzon readies for a public listing soon on Nasdaq via business combination with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: DCRB).
Fortescue expressed interest in Hyzon’s proprietary fuel cell technology using hydrogen gas – for which emissions are limited to water vapor – to replace a fleet of diesel vehicles for transporting workers around remote mining sites. The switch is an integral part of the resource company’s plans to reduce emissions, diversify its energy mix and become carbon neutral by 2030. The Hyzon coaches for Fortescue will mark the world’s first hydrogen-powered coach fleet.
Hyzon CEO Craig Knight said that passing the durability phase – the equivalent of driving more than seven times straight from New York to Miami – demonstrated anew that its vehicles are clean, powerful and uniquely suited for long haul and high utilization back-to-base transport. The coaches have a range up to 800km before refueling.
“We applaud Fortescue Metals Group for its continued commitment to a zero-emission future and we look forward to playing a key role in its transition to hydrogen mobility. The Pilbara region, one of the most prolific mining areas of Australia and the world, is a harsh landscape. Our coaches can handle the rugged terrain, and hydrogen technology can serve as a viable alternative to traditional commercial mobility in even the toughest parts of the globe.”
At current estimates, Australia has about 2,000 coaches, and the Hyzon vehicles will be the first in the country using hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology. The global coach and bus market tops $87.5 billion.
This article was originally published by Hyzon Motors.
