After receiving funding from the state government’s Renewable Hydrogen Commercialisation Pathways Fund, Volgren will construct its first hydrogen fuel cell electric bus at its Dandenong headquarters.
Volgren anticipates that by the middle of 2023, he will have completed a prototype for demonstration and on-road testing of the hydrogen fuel cell bus. Negotiations with a suitable chassis OEM are also underway.
According to Volgren, the development of prototype hydrogen fuel cell buses will allow the company to design the hydrogen-powered bus for local conditions while also working toward continuous hydrogen vehicle production.
A critical component of the development process will be ensuring that safety requirements for flammable gases, high voltage systems, and battery storage systems are met.
Air Liquide and Energys Australia will also benefit from the Victorian government’s Renewable Hydrogen Commercialisation Pathways Fund, as they will develop hydrogen production facilities for transportation.
Boundary Power plans to build a solar-renewable hydrogen standalone power system that will convert solar energy into hydrogen and use that hydrogen to generate electricity during power outages or in remote, off-grid areas.
Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications company, was also awarded funding to install a renewable hydrogen fuel cell generator at regional mobile communication sites, which will strengthen the grid and reduce reliance on fossil fuel generators.
