The Good Earth Green Hydrogen and Ammonia (GEGHA)’s plant will boost NSW’s ability to produce essential fuel and fertiliser locally and help make farming supply chains more reliable in the face of global disruptions. It will also cut emissions from local fertiliser production, transport and heavy machinery.
The project is scalable and repeatable, representing a model that can be rolled out across regional NSW to increase domestic manufacturing and develop energy security through sovereign supply chains for key industries.
Overall, 93 local jobs will be created during the construction and ongoing operation of the project.
The plant will produce up to 4,500 tonnes of low-carbon ammonia per year, replacing imported, fossil fuel-based fertilisers and removing up to 17,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from farming, which equates to taking 6,500 passenger cars off the road.
The ammonia will be used to produce green fertiliser for Sundown Pastoral Company’s Keytah Farm – a 65,000-acre sustainable cotton and cropping operation, one of the largest in the Gwydir Region – as well as other agricultural properties in New England.
The plant will also produce more than 200 tonnes of green hydrogen per year to reduce diesel use in irrigation pumping on-farm and in heavy-vehicle refuelling.
The Minns Labor Government is investing a total of $45.2 million (USD 32.62 million) in the project through the NSW Hydrogen Hubs Initiative and the Net Zero Manufacturing Initiative. Through this funding, the Minns Labor Government is delivering local jobs, boosting local manufacturing and reducing reliance on fuels such as diesel.
GEGHA is jointly led by New Zealand’s Hiringa Energy and the Moree-based Sundown Pastoral Company and is expected to be operational in 2027.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe said:
“The start of construction on GEGHA marks a major milestone for hydrogen capacity building in NSW, showing how clean energy investment can deliver real benefits for regional communities, industry and farmers.
“The current fuel shock shows why projects like this are so important – they help make farming supply chains more reliable by reducing our need for imported fertilisers.”
Hiringa Energy Co-founder and CEO, Andrew Clennett said:
“We are delighted to be able to begin construction of the unique hydrogen and ammonia elements of this project, which has so much potential for the regional NSW farming community.
“In particular, GEGHA is testament to the power of the relationships we have across project partners, especially Sundown, the NSW Government and NAB. I’m very proud of Hiringa’s record of delivering leading green hydrogen and renewable projects, but that doesn’t happen without strong collaboration across many parties.”
Sundown Pastoral Company Owner, David Statham said:
“Recent fuel and fertiliser supply pressures have highlighted how exposed regional industries remain to volatile international markets, reinforcing the need for greater local energy resilience.
“Australia is very vulnerable when it comes to imported fuel and fertiliser. Farmers live and breathe those pressures every day. We need to find another solution to insulate regional economies that are dependent on agriculture, and this shows it’s possible.”
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