The Person of the Year category will be awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the development and future of the hydrogen industry in Aotearoa New Zealand through their leadership and vision.

The Future Hydrogen Leader Award recognises a stand-out professional under the age of 35 working in the New Zealand hydrogen sector and involved in the delivery or development of a cutting edge innovative project, technology or policy.  The Future Hydrogen Leader will be recognised as being a hydrogen champion with a bright future in advancing hydrogen initiatives that make a difference.

The Hydrogen Transport category is awarded to an organisation that has made a significant contribution to advancing the use of hydrogen in decarbonising the transport & mobility sector in one or more of the following areas: 

• Innovation – through innovation and technology advancements, the organisation has made a positive impact to the uptake of hydrogen to advance the movement of people & goods

• Technology – the organisation has made an outstanding contribution to the transportation industry and shown to be an industry leader in hydrogen transport technologies

• Scalability –the organisation has significantly contributed to the scale up of hydrogen in the transport sector

Hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in decarbonising industry, particularly in hard to abate sectors.  The Industry Impact category is awarded to an organisation that is making a significant commercial or technical contribution to the use of hydrogen in industrial applications in one or more of the following areas:

• Technology Solutions – the organisation has developed a world leading hydrogen technology or solution that will accelerate industrial decarbonisation

• Collaborative Partnerships – the organisation has played a cornerstone role in building collaborative partnerships to expedite the use of hydrogen in large scale industrial applications

• Commitment to Decarbonisation – the organisation has demonstrated outstanding commitment to using hydrogen to decarbonise its industrial or manufacturing process 

The Innovation Excellence category is awarded to an organisation that has excelled in its delivery of a hydrogen initiative that is making a world-class contribution to the use of hydrogen in one or more of the following areas:

• Innovative Solutions – through innovation of existing solutions or the introduction of new technology, the project is making a key impact in the energy transition and the deployment of effective hydrogen solutions on the ground

• Cutting Edge Technology – the project has made an outstanding contribution to advancing the hydrogen value chain and shown itself to be a technology leader

• Skills & Capability – through the development of people and knowledge, this project is contributing to the expansion of skills and capability through technical know-how, technology transfer and nurturing talent

Our people are our future and as we advance our commitment to deliver a decarbonised future, so too must we expand our knowledge, skills and understanding of the role and opportunities that hydrogen can offer.  This Award recognises an organisation that connects, empowers and creates opportunity for its people through Kaitiakitanga, knowledge, skills and understanding.