Plug Power Inc., which is the leading provider of comprehensive hydrogen solutions for the hydrogen economy, announced on September 22, 2026, the shipment of a 1 MW GenEco™ PEM electrolyser to HWR Hydrogen, which is a division of H.W. Richardson Group Limited, thereby extending Plug’s GenEco footprint throughout New Zealand and Australia.
The unit will be set up at the refuelling station of HWR Hydrogen in Invercargill, New Zealand, where it is going to produce hydrogen so as to support the fleet of HWR of dual-fuel hydrogen-diesel heavy trucks.
The project is another step toward the development of New Zealand’s growing hydrogen adoption ecosystem, where locally produced hydrogen is increasingly used to mitigate emissions from heavy transport and other hard-to-decarbonise applications. It also leverages Plug’s existing footprint in the country, including deployed electrolyser technology supporting Hiringa Energy’s green hydrogen refuelling network.
Hydrogen projects in both New Zealand and Australia are moving toward real-world deployment in transportation, refuelling and industrial applications. This includes distributed production to meet local demand and major industrial projects requiring hundreds of megawatts of electrolyzer capacity.
According to Plug CEO José Luis Crespo, “What’s important about this project isn’t simply the size of the electrolyzer. It’s what it represents. Plug is building a strong presence alongside this emerging market, with the technology and experience to support projects at every scale. With growing hydrogen adoption across New Zealand and Australia, we’re positioned to grow with it.”
When operational, the system will allow local hydrogen production at HWR Hydrogen’s Invercargill refuelling station, supporting the company’s dual-fuel fleet, as well as contributing to the development of the infrastructure needed to facilitate wider hydrogen uptake throughout Southland and the South Island.
Says Gareth Wishart, GM Technology & Innovation, “We’re looking forward to installing the Plug GenEco electrolyzer equipment, which we will use at our refuelling station initially to supply hydrogen for Change Fuel Technologies’ built dual-fuel trucks operated by HWR and other customers across the Southland region. The station will also be ready to refuel OEM-supplied hydrogen vehicles for HWR companies and the wider industry as they become available. Bringing plug equipment and capabilities to Invercargill is about proving out a model we can extend across the South Island as adoption grows.”
Plug’s work with HWR adds to a rapidly expanding portfolio across New Zealand and Australia. Plug was awarded a contract to supply a 50 MW GenEco PEM electrolyser system for Orica’s Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub in Australia, the country’s largest renewable hydrogen project to reach FID, which will produce approximately 4,700 metric tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year. Plug technology is already deployed in New Zealand supporting Hiringa Energy’s green hydrogen refuelling network.