Accelerating decarbonisation
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.
Pivotal to all decarbonisation strategies is analysing the carbon intensity of the alternative strategies to ensure that the chosen actioned pathway delivers real net zero objectives. In transitioning away from fossil fuels across the Australian road transport sector the current carbon intensities of the grid electricity network and diesel usage provides a centre piece for Australian strategy selection and outcomes.
On the Australian pathway to achieving real net zero outcomes, Sub.Zero resources, including hydrogen and methanol as efficient energy carriers, provide accelerated environmental advantages. This accelerates the overall declines in greenhouse emissions across many hard to abate sectors – road transport, energy and micro-grids, chemicals, agriculture, shipping, waste, etc. Delivering higher GHG abatement outcomes and an estimated absolute carbon intensity reduction of up to 2.1 kg CO2e per km, 100% lower than alternatives - provides the foundation for a compelling environmental business case for Sub.Zero developments.
Case Example: Freight company accelerating its decarbonisation pathway
To illustrate the potential, Xseed Solutions have modelled a use case with freight organisation owning 100 articulated 6 axle long haul vehicles. The trucks operate on a drayage basis within 500km of its depot enabling alternative zero emission powertrains to refuel at the depot 100% of the time. We estimate the annual greenhouse footprint of that freight organisation averaging 9,815 tpa CO2e.
Strategically, from 2026 the freight organisation plans to replace 10% of its diesel vehicles, ie 10 vehicles a year, as either battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. It intends to utilise dedicated renewable energy or electrolysis hydrogen refuelling stations. This pathway results in a decline to 5,178 to 5,890 tpa CO2e respectively by 2030, an encouraging 40% to 47% reduction in absolute GHG emissions within five years.
We estimate utilising Sub.Zero hydrogen, either for battery electric or hydrogen fuel cells powertrains, the freight organisation, having transitioned only 50% of its fleet by 2030, abates higher GHG emissions. In this case, the organisation achieves a real net zero emission outcome by 2030 of negative 150 tpa CO2e. A real zero outcome by 2030!
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.