Page 8 - AsianOil Week 45 2021

AsianOil OCEANIA AsianOil

Australia’s hydrogen

sector draws investment

Both the government and the private sector are backing new hydrogen plays

COMMENTARY AUSTRALIA’S goal of becoming a leader in the The H2TAS project is a phased develop-
global hydrogen industry took several steps for- ment with the potential to support up to 1,700
ward during the past week, with energy players MW of electrolysis for hydrogen and ammo-
WHAT: committing to a slew of new projects and the nia production. The initial phase will have up
Woodside has secured government unveiling new low-carbon funding. to 300 MW of capacity, with 200,000 tonnes
land for a new green The country’s largest oil and gas producer per year (tpy) of ammonia target production,
hydrogen and ammonia Woodside has secured land for a proposed which Woodside has matched to forecast cus-
plant in Tasmania. green hydrogen and ammonia plant in northern tomer demand.
Tasmania. H2TAS will use a combination of hydro-
WHY: Infrastructure operator APA, meanwhile, power and wind power to create a 100% renew-
The state sources has teamed up with Warrego Energy and Pilot able ammonia product for export as well as
90% of its power from Energy to jointly fund a feasibility study into blue renewable hydrogen for domestic use.
renewables. hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) Woodside signed a MoU with the Tasmanian
in Western Australia. government in January that outlined the state’s
WHAT NEXT: The Port of Newcastle, Macquarie unit Green support for the project, which seeks to capitalise
New funding for CCS is Investment and Jemena have signed a memo- on the island’s extensive renewable power capac-
expected to help drive randum of understanding (MoU) to conduct a ity. Around 90% of Tasmania’s power generation
hydrogen development. feasibility study into a hydrogen hub that will ini- comes from renewable resources.
tially be underpinned by a 40-MW electrolyser. Woodside, along with Japanese partners
The Australian government not only unveiled Marubeni and IHI, has completed initial feasi-
the New South Wales hydrogen hub, but it also bility studies showing that exporting ammonia
announced that it would fund half of a new to Japan from the Bell Bay area is technically and
AUD1bn ($730mn) fund to help commercialise commercially feasible.
low-emissions technology. The oil and gas developer expects to reach
a final investment decision (FID) in 2023, with
Woodside development construction and commissioning expected to
Woodside said on November 12 that it had take around 24 months.
agreed an exclusive option for a long-term lease Alongside green hydrogen developments, the
for a partially cleared site in the Austrak Business country’s oil and gas sector is keen to prove the
Park in the Bell Bay area. viability of blue hydrogen developments.

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 45 12•November•2021