Hydrogen trucking manufacturer Hyzon Motors has appointed investment and business development veteran John Edgley to lead the company’s Australia and New Zealand operations.
Edgley takes over as managing director on July 23 and will be based in Melbourne as Hyzon continues to expand its footprint in the Australasian region.
He joins Hyzon after having served as the chief investment officer for a multinational industrial conglomerate with operations in water and wastewater treatment, marine construction, infrastructure, and diversified portfolio investment.
In the new role, Edgley will oversee Hyzon’s first delivery of hydrogen fuel cell-powered coaches to Fortescue Metals Group’s Christmas Creek iron ore hub in Western Australia and the first hydrogen-powered prime movers to Hiringa Energy in New Zealand.
“There is enormous opportunity in this region of the world for Hyzon to introduce its hydrogen fuel cell technology,” Edgley says.
“The long distances, extreme weather conditions and challenging terrain, along with prolific mining activity, create the need for high performance, rugged technology.
“Unlike many other zero-emissions solutions, the high-density fuel cells developed by Hyzon are uniquely suited to tackle these environments.
“We stand at a pivotal point in history as hydrogen takes over from fossil fuels and Hyzon is positioned to power the next era of economic growth.
“It is a real privilege to be building new jobs, new manufacturing and technology facilities, and a fundamentally new industry in Australia and New Zealand, that will underpin a sustainable future for us all,” he says.
Hyzon chief executive and co-founder Craig Knight says Edgley’s “experience in the energy and industrial world will allow us to continue to grow our presence in these hydrogen-ready, high-growth corners of the world”.
Edgley’s appointment comes ahead of Hyzon’s business combination with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation (NASDAQ: DCRB), a special purpose acquisition company, that will result in Hyzon becoming a publicly listed company.
Hyzon says it is seeing “accelerating demand” for zero-emissions transport solutions throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Under Edgley’s leadership, the company will continue introducing its imported commercial vehicles, and also expects to localise production of key platforms, including refuse collection vehicles and road trains for use in the mining sector.
Edgley also has served as director and managing director for Australian companies specialising in private equity, residential developments and health care. He has an MBA from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Melbourne.
