Sub.Zero H2 - Under three cents
Hugging Australia’s coastlines, 95% of Australia’s population live within 50 km of its’ beaches, in an area representing just 5% of Australia’s land mass, slightly larger than Sweden. Across that area Australia has over 121,000 km of national highways and arterial roads, more than eight times Sweden’s major road network. A unique infrastructure challenge when evaluating alternative models to embark on a decarbonisation transition.
The powerful combination of hydrogen manufactured from waste (Sub.Zero hydrogen) using Hydrogen capable Plasma Assisted Gasification and zero emission truck and bus battery electric and hydrogen fuel powertrains enables many Australian use cases to transition away from fossil fuels. Capable to deliver up to 11% pa in Australian greenhouse gas reductions. Today’s actions, with current technology implementable by 2027, can see Australian companies delivering significant greenhouse reductions of Australian road freight.
Under three cents
All sectors benefit, none more so than agriculture. In transporting cattle over 1,000 km from regional Australia to the coast or bananas and avocados south from Queensland, it is estimated today this represents a transport cost increase per 250g of produce item of less than three cents – reducing further as scale and technology advances into 2030.
Last year, the Australian Productivity Commission estimated that the marginal cost of abatement of government subsidies to stimulate the purchase of electric passenger vehicles in Australia was a cost between $987 and $20,084 per t CO2e. In Xseed Solution’s analysis for trucks and buses, the marginal cost of abatement of Sub.Zero scenarios ranged between a savings of $94 per t CO2e and a cost of $1,044 per t CO2e. Comparing alternative pathways in the report the total cost of ownership per t CO2e emissions for multiple scenarios are modelled. A majority of Sub.Zero TCO $ per t CO2e scenarios were less than the current government abatement subsides for passenger electric cars.
Three key findings
Based on the Xseed Solution report’s key findings Sub.Zero hydrogen is the more favourable environmental and economic decarbonisation reduction pathway. It compares favourable from both an operating and capital cost perspective with three key findings:
Sub.Zero hydrogen from Resources, Energy and Chemical Hubs (REC Hubs) or Consortium Resources, Energy and Chemical Hubs (C-REC Hubs), provide the lowest carbon intensity outcomes.
Light commercial vehicles, rigid trucks, and long-haul trucks (500km) provide the most effective TCO outcomes near term.
Hydrogen fuel-cell powertrains utilising Sub.Zero hydrogen infrastructure reduces to be cost competitive by 2027.
Regenerating resources to live locally
The EU has embarked on building ZEV refuelling stations every 300 km by 2030. Multiple ZEV powertrains are currently available, or will be available, within the next 2 years. Waste to Hydrogen to X technologies, including Sub.Zero hydrogen, exists today to action and deliver zero waste, climate positive local councils and numerous, multi-tiered government policies.
Currently, the pieces of the puzzle are actionable in Australia to resolve both aspects of the admired “chicken or the egg” dilemma of infrastructure and users for many sectors including waste, agriculture, healthcare, and road freight transport.
Prioritise Australian resources, incorporating our landfill waste, to enable a circular economy hydrogen and e-methanol highway. This underpins a climate positive eco-system connecting regional and urban Australia - stimulating extensive “live local” domestic Hydrogen to X manufacturing growth opportunities.