ARENA backs green hydrogen production pilot in Queensland

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will provide AUD 950,000 (USD 641,660/EUR 579,800) in funding to support a pilot project for the production of renewable hydrogen at an existing gas facility in Queensland.

The government agency said on Friday it will distribute the funds to gas company BOC, which plans to install a 220-kW electrolyser and a 100-kW solar array at its Bulwer Island gas station in Brisbane. Through electrolysis utilising existing industrial gas equipment and infrastructure, the company will be able to produce 2,400 kg of green hydrogen monthly.

The installation will produce hydrogen via electrolysis drawn from the onsite solar or grid-sourced renewable energy via a power purchase agreement (PPA).

The total value of the pilot project is estimated at AUD 3.1 million. Apart from the hydrogen production, it also includes a hydrogen refuelling station in Brisbane, which will be supplied with 50 kg of hydrogen per day.

“Hydrogen is a huge opportunity for Australia, both in our domestic economy and internationally as an emission-free energy source but it is still in its early stages,” said ARENA’s CEO Darren Miller. He added that Australia is well-placed to become a leading exporter of hydrogen, with the statement coming to support a recent report by ACIL Allen Consulting that predicts Australia’s hydrogen export industry could bring AUD 1.7 billion to the economy each year.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.675/EUR 0.6103)

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