The New Zealand Hydrogen Council.

Council Team and Current Board

The Council's published team comprises Chief Executive Dr Linda Wright and Industry Training Manager Carryn Colton. Its current board brings together investment, engineering, electricity, hydrogen technology, diplomacy, automotive, maritime-transport and project-development experience.

Other Links

• Organisation Page: New Zealand Hydrogen Council Our People
• Contact Page: New Zealand Hydrogen Council

Purpose and Direction

The Council was formed in September 2018 by private- and public-sector organisations, with seed funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. It describes itself as New Zealand's leading hydrogen agency and an important link between the country's emerging hydrogen sector and developments overseas. Its mission is to assist New Zealand's transition to a low-emissions future by helping renewable hydrogen become a useful part of the country's changing energy system.

Its vision is broader than promoting hydrogen as a fuel. The Council connects hydrogen development with using New Zealand's renewable energy resources, reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels, strengthening energy resilience and protecting the value of the New Zealand brand in a low-emissions global economy. It also encourages cooperation with international leaders so that local organisations can learn from proven technology, standards, policy and project experience.

Membership Across the Hydrogen System

The Council is a membership organisation open to interested parties across the economy. Its membership includes organisations involved in electricity and gas generation and distribution, fuel supply, vehicle manufacturing, road, maritime and aviation transport, hydrogen equipment, engineering, professional services, finance, research and development, economic development, and local and regional government.

This variety matters because a hydrogen project rarely belongs to one industry alone. Producing hydrogen requires energy, water, equipment and a suitable site. Using it may require compression, storage, transport, dispensing, fuel cells, combustion equipment or processing plant. Projects must also address finance, insurance, safety, consenting, standards, workforce capability and reliable customer demand. The Council's broad network provides a place for these separate parts of the supply chain to meet.

Membership Costs

The Council's membership application lists two fee categories. A commercial entity pays a one-off joining fee of NZD $5,000 plus an annual subscription of NZD $6,000. A not-for-profit organisation pays an annual subscription of NZD $2,000 with no one-off joining fee. All published fees exclude GST, and the first annual subscription invoice is prorated from the joining date to the Council's financial year end. Organisations should confirm that these amounts and conditions remain current before applying.

Benefits of Membership

The Council describes membership as a way to build relationships with New Zealand and international technology suppliers, business leaders, financiers, operational partners, researchers, government and academia. Published benefits include member networking and communications, access to an annual Members Only Day and project site visits, a 30% discount on other Council events including the H2 2 ZERO Summit, access to current hydrogen information and resources, and opportunities to contribute to thought leadership and the strategic pathway for renewable hydrogen in New Zealand. Prospective members should check the Council's current benefits page because programmes and entitlements may change.

Other Links

• Organisation Directory: New Zealand Hydrogen Council Members
• Membership Information: How to Join
• Membership Information: Benefits

Collaboration and Commercial Development

Collaboration is central to the Council's stated approach. It seeks to connect industry, government and academia; build relationships with international technology and investment partners; and help organisations identify commercial opportunities. Members can participate in networking events, project discussions, site visits, information sharing and sector-wide conversations about the conditions needed for investment.

The Council is an industry body, connector and source of sector leadership. By bringing organisations together, it can help expose gaps between technology capability and market requirements, reduce duplication of effort and encourage projects that connect supply with credible long-term demand.

Policy, Standards and Sector Leadership

A significant part of the Council's work concerns the policy and regulatory environment surrounding hydrogen. Its published aims include supporting effective policy, internationally recognised codes and standards, and regulatory frameworks that enable hydrogen infrastructure to be developed and used safely and efficiently. This work is important because uncertainty about approvals, certification, safety obligations or future policy can delay investment even when the technology itself is available.

The Council has also contributed to the Hydrogen Industry Leadership Group, which brought together sector participants to identify priority policy actions for developing a low-emissions hydrogen industry. The resulting work takes a sector-wide and technology-neutral view. This reflects an important principle: hydrogen needs to be compared honestly with direct electrification, batteries, biofuels and other options rather than treated as the automatic answer to every decarbonisation problem.

Other Links

• Strategy Page: Hydrogen Industry Leadership Group

Information and Infrastructure Planning

The Council gathers and shares New Zealand and international reports, strategies, policy documents, project information and industry news. Its website provides access to New Zealand reports on subjects such as the Hydrogen Action Plan, standards development, fuel security and emerging projects. It also maintains information about hydrogen activity around the country, helping readers see how production, transport, industry, infrastructure and regional development may connect.

Its Hydrogen Infrastructure Development Plan is a particularly practical resource. The plan combines map layers covering electricity generation and transmission, proposed renewable generation, ports, freight routes, refuelling priorities, regional hubs and natural hydrogen potential. Looking at these systems together helps explain why hydrogen infrastructure planning cannot be separated from electricity networks, transport corridors, industrial demand and access to ports.

Other Links

• Planning Resource: Hydrogen Infrastructure Development Plan
• Project Directory: New Zealand Hydrogen Projects

Events, Training and Knowledge Sharing

The Council supports events intended to build relationships and understanding across the sector. These include quarterly speaker events, a Members Only Day and annual meeting, and the H2 2 ZERO Summit. The speaker programme brings national and international participants into different New Zealand regions to discuss parts of the hydrogen supply chain, explore project opportunities and share current knowledge.

During the 12 months to 24 August 2026, the Council's published 2026 Hydrogen Speaker Series records two completed events: Aerospace and Aviation in Auckland on 5 March and Energy Security and Resilience in New Plymouth on 12 June. The programme is designed to combine technical and market updates with member networking and regional project conversations.

Two further 2026 events have been announced. The third-quarter event, New Zealand — a Clean Technology Platform for International Investors, is planned for Christchurch, while the fourth-quarter event is planned for Queenstown in December, with its topic and date still to be confirmed. Readers should check the Council's Quarterly Hydrogen Speaker Series page before making arrangements because future programme details may change.

Its Hydrogen Fundamentals training material addresses hydrogen properties, safety, economics, supply chains, production, storage, distribution, fuel cells, combustion, policy and international infrastructure. This educational role is valuable because organisations considering hydrogen need enough knowledge to ask informed questions before committing to detailed engineering or investment.

Other Links

• Event Programme: Quarterly Hydrogen Speaker Series

Why the Council Matters to New Zealand

New Zealand has a high proportion of renewable electricity and the potential to develop additional renewable generation. That creates opportunities to produce low-emission hydrogen, but it does not by itself guarantee competitive projects. Electricity price and availability, equipment utilisation, storage, distribution, customer demand and alternatives all affect commercial viability. An industry body can help participants discuss these dependencies openly and understand where coordinated infrastructure or policy may be required.

Hydrogen may be valuable where direct electrification is difficult, including parts of heavy transport, industrial processing, renewable fuels, longer-duration energy storage and resilience. In other situations, using electricity directly will be simpler and more efficient.

The Council's most useful contribution is therefore helping New Zealand identify credible applications, connect projects and learn from both successful and difficult international experience.

Using the Council's Resources

For a business beginning to investigate hydrogen, the Council offers a national network, access to current reports and events, and a way to engage with organisations working across the supply chain. Its resources can assist early understanding, but they do not replace project-specific engineering, safety assessment, financial analysis, consenting advice or legal review.

Current New Zealand Reports

The Council's New Zealand report collection included the following publications when checked on 24 August 2026:

• Te Horo Hydrogen Blending Pilot Report
• Fuel Security Plan — November 2025
• Hydrogen Action Plan
• Fortescue Demand Response Study
• Discussion Document: New Zealand's Second Emissions Reduction Plan
• Hydrogen Standards Review
• Interim Hydrogen Roadmap
• A Vision for Hydrogen in New Zealand — Green Paper

Notes

New Zealand Hydrogen and the New Zealand Hydrogen Council are separate organisations. This page is an independent summary rather than an official statement by the Council. Readers should visit the New Zealand Hydrogen Council website for its current membership, governance, programme and announcements.

Other Links

• Organisation Website: New Zealand Hydrogen Council
• Organisation Page: Mission, Vision and Aims
• Organisation Directory: Member Directory
• Project Directory: New Zealand Hydrogen Projects
• Planning Resource: Hydrogen Infrastructure Development Plan
• Report Directory: New Zealand Reports