Article by Adam Duckett
A CONSORTIUM has outlined proposals to create a ‘hydrogen valley’ in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales in Australia, that would help pioneer clean energy and feedstocks in place of the region’s coal industry.
Beginning next year, stage one of the Hunter Hydrogen Network project would involve repurposing the Muswellbrook coal mine. The project would build an electrolyser at the site that would be powered by wind and solar. It would begin to produce hydrogen by the end of 2024 for use as feedstock and to power mining activities and vehicles in the Upper Hunter Valley region. This would involve building a pipeline to transport the hydrogen south to Liddell, home to AGL’s coal-fired power plant.
5 May 2021
The nascent Australian green hydrogen industry has received a major boost, with three 10MW electrolyser projects to share in more than $103 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
ARENA has selected the three projects -from more than 30 applications – to produce and supply green hydrogen for a mix of uses, including fertiliser production and blending in mains gas supplies.
It will see a total of $161 million invested across the three projects in some of Australia’s first commercial-scale green hydrogen production facilities.
Engie Renewables will build a 10MW electrolyser in Karratha in Western Australia, as part of a consortium with Yara Pilbara Fertilisers, with the help of a $42.5 million grant. As we reported in April, the project will be paired with an on-site solar farm to produce green hydrogen, which will be used in ammonia production, with the facility expected to commence production in 2023. The project is expected to produ