A green hydrogen dual-fuel milk tanker has gone to work for Miraka, a Māori-owned, Taupō based dairy company.

The 700hp Volvo FH16 is New Zealand’s first green hydrogen dual-fuel tanker for milk collection, and will travel approximately 165,000km annually. It has the capacity to haul 58 tonnes and requires two hydrogen refills daily.

Miraka’s factory at Mokai is the world’s first dairy processing company to use renewable geothermal energy. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from on-farm milk collection has also been a key goal for the innovative company.

The Miraka dairy plant already has one of the world’s lowest manufacturing carbon emissions footprints, emitting 92% less CO2 than traditional coal-fired dairy factories.

“Although hydrogen-powered vehicles are still an emerging technology, we believe green hydrogen represents the most environmentally appropriate energy source for heavy freight,” says Miraka CEO, Karl Gradon.

“Our green hydrogen dual-fuel tanker is designed to reduce milk collection CO2 emissions by approximately 35% per vehicle.”

Miraka’s partners on the project are Central Transport Ltd and Halcyon Power. The companies are partnering to establish a Rural Hydrogen Hub.

Tūaropaki Trust, a cornerstone shareholder in Miraka, provides geothermal energy and steam for the Miraka dairy plant through its Mokai Power Station.

Under a joint venture partnership with Japan’s Obayashi Corporation, Tūaropaki established Halcyon Power, New Zealand’s first commercial-scale green hydrogen plant. Halcyon will supply the green hydrogen for the new tanker from their facility which is adjacent to the Miraka dairy plant at Mokai.