Hydrogen

One of Australia’s largest commercial-scale green hydrogen projects has been given the go ahead with the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group reaching financial close on an estimated $53 million (USD 35.44 million) renewable hydrogen plant to be built at Wodonga in northern Victoria.

BHP is planning to install more than 500 MW additional wind and solar power backed by battery energy storage in Western Australia’s Pilbara region in the next seven years as it looks to slash the use of gas and diesel in its iron ore operations.

Danish investment group Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has ramped up its green hydrogen ambitions, acquiring a strategic stake in Europe-headquartered renewables developer CWP Global’s development portfolio of ultra-large-scale green hydrogen hubs, including projects in Australia.

By 2050, the practice of using renewable energy to electrolyse water and create hydrogen fuel could become a global market of well over USD 1 trillion ($1.47 trillion), according to a new report by Deloitte.

Western Australian clean energy developer Infinite Green Energy has welcomed Israeli renewables giant Doral Group as an equity partner to develop and build a commercial-scale green hydrogen project that will leverage the existing 11 MW Northam Solar Farm east of Perth.

South Korea is opening what it claims is the world’s first hydrogen power generation bidding market, while the Queensland government has approved funding to assess water use in Gladstone’s hydrogen industry.

Queensland project developer the Hydrogen Collective has announced it will have green hydrogen available for supply to commercial customers from late 2023 with construction to begin in the coming weeks on a solar-powered production facility to be built at Goondiwindi in the state’s southwest.

Australian green hydrogen proponent Fortescue Future Industries and French renewables major Total Eren are among five project developers provided with exclusivity over land in the Northern Territory government’s Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct on Darwin Harbour.

China’s deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission is reported to have recently met with Andrew Forrest, founder and executive chairman of Fortescue.

With less than 60 days remaining until the next raft of clean energy incentives outlined in the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act take effect, former Reserve Bank of Australia deputy governor Guy Debelle has warned the legislation poses a “material threat” to Australia’s push to become a green hydrogen superpower.