He Honoka Hauwai German-NZ Green Hydrogen Centre is a newly created collaboration hosted by the University of Otago and the Institute of Hydrogen Technology Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon.
The centre is focused on research, networking and outreach and has the following partners:
- Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
- The MacDiarmid Institute
- New Zealand Hydrogen Council
- Ara Ake
- the NZ Universities
- GNS Science
- Scion
- Callaghan Innovation
Inaugural New Zealand Hydrogen Symposium
From 1 to 3 February 2023, the inaugural New Zealand Hydrogen Symposium (NZHS 1) took place in Dunedin at the University of Otago. The interdisciplinary forum brought together representatives from science, industry and politics to exchange ideas based on current research and to deepen existing research collaborations.
In the newly established German-New Zealand Green Hydrogen Centre, researchers are working together on safe and cost-effective materials for storing hydrogen.
This research focussed Symposium complements the industry focussed Summit series, both of which are being held with the blessing of the NZ Hydrogen Council. It was generously sponsored by the University of Otago, MacDiarmid Institute and Otago Energy Research Centre (OERC). The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the New Zealand Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) have awarded 4 jointly supported grants in Green Hydrogen, which facilitated those team members participation.
Generous student prize sponsorship was provided by the MacDiarmid Institute, OERC, Fabrum (2), Meridian, HWRichardson and Hiringa, and Hyundai had their NEXO hydrogen fuel cell car present during the symposium for delegates to experience. This inaugural symposium, NZHS-1, was organised by Dr Paul Jerabek, a scientist at the Hereon Institute of Hydrogen Technology together with Prof Anna Garden and Prof Sally Brooker of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Otago.
From left to right: Prof Anna Garden (University of Otago), Prof David Murdoch (Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago), Dr Paul Jerabek (Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon), Dr Klaus Taube (Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon), Dr Michael Feiner (German Deputy Ambassador to NZ), Terry Nicholas (Ngāi Tahu), Edward Ellison (Ngāi Tahu), Prof Sally Brooker (University of Otago). Photo: Sharron Bennett.
Read more about the symposium here.
Delegates were welcomed to the inaugural NZ Hydrogen Symposium by Tā Tipene O’Regan and challenged with the opportunities NZ has with regard to green hydrogen. View below:
On behalf of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Dr Hana O’Regan (Ngāi Tahu – te reo Māori language expert; Tumu Whakarae/CEO CORE Education) with the support of Aimee Kaio (Ngāi Tahu; German-NZ green hydrogen centre team member), deliberated and created a Māori name for the German-NZ Green Hydrogen Alliance and Centre for Research, Networking and Outreach, including a whakataukī (proverb or brand line). This gift was revealed and celebrated at the opening of the inaugural NZ Hydrogen Symposium (NZHS-1) at the University of Otago on 1 February 2023, in Dunedin, Ōtākou. In the recording below, Dr O’Regan gives the narrative that underpins the name, He Honoka Hauwai, and proverb.