Western Australia checks out eco-friendly hydrogen hub with as much as 1,250 MW of solar energy

• Western Australia is looking for international companions to discover the development of eco-friendly hydrogen projects as part of a center that can hold up to 1,250 MW of solar power as well as 270MW of wind power.

The state government has actually launched a worldwide expressions of interest (EOI) ask for proponents to establish eco-friendly hydrogen projects at the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area (SIA), 435km north of Perth.

The EOI is targeted at hydrogen manufacturers; hydrogen customers, such as transport, steels refining as well as ammonia manufacturing business; hydrogen sector part suppliers; and power and also other facilities companies.

According to the state federal government, the 4,070-hectare Oakajee SIA area is perfect for the production of eco-friendly hydrogen for industrial uses, consisting of innovative manufacturing, energy storage as well as transportation, and also for the future export of tidy power.

With interest in eco-friendly hydrogen speeding up, the innovation has the prospective to be a "significant financial driver for the state", Alannah MacTiernan, Western Australia local growth minister, said. "The state federal government is eager to work collaboratively with market with the EOI process and understand exactly what it will take to transform the area right into a worldwide competitive producer and individual of eco-friendly hydrogen."

The EOI process complies with a AU$ 22 million (US$ 16.03 million) investment announced by Western Australia last month to improve the state's hydrogen sector throughout 4 areas: export, use in remotely situated industries, blending in gas networks as well as utilize in gas cell electrical transport automobiles. Part of that funding will be used to develop a renewable energy grid that makes use of a solar energy system to produce hydrogen from water. The demonstrator microgrid will examine the modern technology and also expediency of carrying out microgrids incorporating hydrogen in regional areas throughout the state.

The financing and EOI join a growing checklist of projects checking out the potential of integrating renewables with hydrogen production in Western Australia. BP secured financing earlier in the year to examine the expediency of an eco-friendly hydrogen and ammonia manufacturing facility in the state, while Hydrogen Renewables Australia and Siemens are preparing a facility that will be powered by 5GW of solar as well as wind, and eventually exporting hydrogen to Japan and also Korea.

Meanwhile, the opportunity of moving hydrogen from Australia to Germany will certainly be examined with a brand-new expediency study introduced earlier this month in between both countries. The two-year research study will certainly also check out the demand for eco-friendly hydrogen by German industry.