Source: New Zealand Government
The Government has agreed to make changes to the health and safety regulations for the hydrogen sector, ensuring they are fit for purpose and support growth, Energy Minister Simon Watts and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden say.
“The Government sees hydrogen as a valuable tool we can harness to kickstart economic growth. By harnessing its potential, we can drive innovation, create jobs, and position New Zealand as a leader in sustainable energy solutions,” Mr Watts says.
“Hydrogen has an important role in our future energy mix. It can support sectors that are difficult or impractical to electrify – such as heavy transport and industry – to reduce emissions while keeping our economy growing.
“To unlock hydrogen’s full potential, we need a regulatory framework that supports growth and innovation rather than getting in the way.”
“While on our nationwide health and safety roadshow, I heard that because current safety requirements were not developed with hydrogen in mind, they are now preventing the safe development and use of hydrogen technologies,” says Ms van Velden.
“We have worked closely with the sector to ensure health and safety regulations relating to hydrogen are fit for purpose and remove unnecessary compliance costs without compromising health and safety.
“We want our safety regulations to strike the right balance in allowing businesses to pick the technologies that work best for them, while still keeping workers and others safe.”
The 10 changes the Government have agreed to make include technical amendments to outdated provisions known to prevent businesses from adopting new practices and creates new requirements where clarity is needed now. They include:
setting specific requirements for hydrogen fuelling stations and cryogenic liquid hydrogen
providing for easier approval of hydrogen appliances and fittings
allowing alternatives to odorisation for hydrogen
allowing Multi-Element Gas Containers, commonly used overseas for storage and transport
enabling Safe Work Instruments and new safety instruments to set requirements as the sector evolves updating references to newer standards for transporting dangerous goods and hazardous areas.
“By making these changes, we are delivering a key priority under the Hydrogen Action Plan which was released in November 2024,” Mr Watts says.
“We need businesses, innovators, and investors to grasp and make the most of the opportunities at hand. By cutting this red tape we can unlock faster growth of the sector, drive more jobs, and deliver real benefits to our energy system, climate, and economy.”
