Pure Hydrogen has agreed with Australian waste management company Solo Resource Recovery to deploy a hydrogen-powered fuel cell waste collection truck.

The vehicle will service Solo’s municipal contracts, including Tweed Shire Council in northern New South Wales, Australia, with Pure Hydrogen delivering maintenance services and supply of hydrogen during the six-month trial period starting in 2024.

Solo will pay a rental cost of $82,500 for the six-month trial, with further hydrogen-powered waste collection trucks to be supplied following a successful trial outcome.

The trials will allow Solo to determine the feasibility of the vehicle under different conditions and provides an opportunity for participating councils to understand how they can transition to hydrogen-fuelled waste collection trucks. The trucks are expected to have a range of around 300km before needing to refuel, with the refuelling taking place at Solo’s Chinderah depot with 99.97{7bfcd0aebedba9ec56d5615176ab7cebc5409dfb82345290162ba6c44abf8bc8} purity hydrogen.

Mark Taylor, Solo Resource Recovery National Fleet Manager, said, “Our partnership with Pure Hydrogen is the natural next step to ensuring a resilient and sustainable waste sector.

“Our collaboration with Pure Hydrogen represents practical and real progress towards a realistic and achievable circular economy. Importantly, this potentially will enable our valued customers to transition toward a circular economy where the environment, consumers and industry will all benefit.”

Depending on the trail outcomes, the vehicles may be progressively deployed across New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian and Western Australian operations. Pure Hydrogen also has the last right of refusal for hydrogen supply to Solo.

Pure Hydrogen has also signed Term Sheets with multiple parties where the total quantity of potential hydrogen-powered waste trucks to be supplied is greater than 100, assuming successful trials.

Scott Brown, Pure Hydrogen Managing Director, said, “This agreement is a key milestone for hydrogen fuelled zero-emission transport solutions in Australia and reflects Solo’s confidence in, and commitment to, Pure Hydrogen’s hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The agreement follows the successful launch of Pure Hydrogen’s Taurus truck in June – Australia’s first hydrogen-powered prime mover developed in collaboration with Hdrive and PepsiCo.”

Read more:Pure Hydrogen to debut Australia’s first hydrogen fuel cell prime mover at Brisbane Truck Show

He added, “This agreement is consistent with Pure Hydrogen’s turn-key solutions strategy and is an example of the progress we continue to make towards the supply of both hydrogen vehicles and hydrogen fuel sources to our customers.

“Pure Hydrogen continues to plan out its network to support the commercialisation phase of the vehicles and our commitment to establishing turquoise and emerald hydrogen hubs will enable us to deliver carbon-negative, low-cost hydrogen into the marketplace.”