Australia Govt: Australia’s first large scale hydrogen plant to be built in Pilbara

One of the world’s largest renewable hydrogen plants is due to be built in the Pilbara. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) conditionally approved $47.5 million towards ENGIE’s renewable hydrogen and ammonia project near Karratha in Western Australia.

Once completed, the project will be Australia’s largest electrolyser, capable of producing up to 640 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year.

Electrolysers can utilise renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The renewable hydrogen produced can be used as a feedstock for chemicals such as ammonia, combusted for heat or electricity generation, or used as a zero emissions transport fuel.

The $87 million project includes:

a 10 MW electrolyser to produce renewable hydrogen
18 MW solar PV system to power the electrolyser
8 MW / 5 MWh lithium-ion battery for firming
It will supply hydrogen and electricity to Yara Pilbara Fertilisers at its neighbouring liquid ammonia facility.

The project is expected to commence construction in October and be completed by early 2024.