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 said the Government saw hydrogen as a valuable tool to kickstart economic growth, drive innovation, create jobs, and position New Zealand as a leader in sustainable energy solutions.
“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,” said Watts.
“To unlock hydrogen’s full potential, we need a regulatory framework that supports growth and innovation rather than getting in the way.”
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden added that, during the nationwide health and safety roadshow, she 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.
“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,” she said.
“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The 10 changes the Government have agreed to make include technical amendments to outdated provisions that are known to prevent businesses from adopting new practices and to create new requirements where clarity is now needed. 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,” added Watts.
“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.”
More local news here
