First Gas says the Government’s hydrogen strategy announced today opens the door to a new source of renewable energy alongside hydro and solar electricity.

The company’s hydrogen-pipeline trial was announced a few months ago as one of the first projects to start at the National New Energy Development Centre being set up in Taranaki.

First Gas CEO Paul Goodeve today congratulated the Government on its “far-sightedness” in being prepared to investigate alternative energy sources.

“We can’t pin our climate and energy supply hopes on any single source of energy.

“Our future demands we shift not only to renewable energy, but to multiple sources.

“It is a signal of foresight and commitment that the government is preparing the way for hydrogen,” Goodeve said.

He warned that it would take many years before hydrogen became viable for everyday uses in industry, transport and consumer appliances.

“But we can cut some of the development time by adapting the existing gas network infrastructure to transport hydrogen easily and quickly,” Goodeve said.

Current forms of renewable energy are vulnerable to conditions like dry weather and cloudy days. Existing gases can meet shortfalls during the transition to more renewables, but other gases like hydrogen could take the load in the future.

Hydrogen is emissions-free at the point of use and can be created out of abundant renewable sources such as water (splitting hydrogen from oxygen).

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