Toyota Lays Groundwork for Australia’s Hydrogen Era

Australia’s hydrogen industry forms a national organization with Toyota and Hyundai among its founding members.

Hydrogen Mobility Australia (HMA) says it will be the voice of the emerging hydrogen industry in Australia and have a membership made up of automakers, energy companies and infrastructure providers.

HMA grew out of a Toyota-backed industry initiative which identified the need for cooperation within the hydrogen community to focus on development of standards and supporting infrastructure such as refueling stations.

Its role is to support the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. It will do so by fostering industry and government cooperation for regulations, codes and standards to support the introduction of a hydrogen economy in Australia.

It also will undertake government advocacy, research, education and industry engagement programs promoting the benefits of fuel-cell technology.

HMA will work to accelerate the commercialization of new hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies across the hydrogen value chain, including production, export and storage for transport and stationary applications in Australia and overseas.

The group’s first CEO is Claire Johnson, who most recently led Toyota Australia’s advocacy for the introduction of hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles to Australia.

Along with Toyota and Hyundai, HMA members include BOC, BP Australia, Caltex Australia, CNH Industrial, Coregas, Hyundai Australia, ITM Power, Siemens, Toyota Australia and Viva Energy Australia.

Mike Rausa, Toyota Australia vice president-product and corporate operations and a director of HMA, says pairing carbon-free hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies with renewable energy sources could contribute significantly to energy sustainability.

“Hydrogen has the potential to play a pivotal role in the future because it can be used to store and transport energy from wind, solar and other renewable sources to power many things, including vehicles,” he says. “The sooner we move to a zero-emissions society, the better. Toyota, along with everyone involved in HMA, is committed to making this a reality.”