South Australia’s Port Lincoln to house $117.5mn hydrogen power plant

Hydrogen Utility and Germany’s thyssenkrupp are to develop and run Australia’s first green hydrogen power plant, and one of the biggest in the world to date.

Costing $117.5mn to deliver, the project will be constructed near Port Lincoln will integrate a portfolio of innovative hydrogen technologies, including a 15MW electrolyser plant, a distributed ammonia production facility, and a 10MW hydrogen-­fired gas turbine and 5MW hydrogen fuel cell, which will both supply power to the grid.

Hydrogen Utility CEO Dr Attilio Pigneri said: “The facility will be an exemplar of the synergies associated with hydrogen.

“It will provide balancing services to the national transmission grid, fast frequency response support to new solar plants under development in the Eyre Peninsula, supply green ammonia and other chemicals to the local farming and aquaculture sectors, and host the demonstration, at scale, of novel supply chain technologies for the export of green hydrogen from Australia to markets in the Asia-­Pacific region.”

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Hydrogen can be produced from renewable sources such as wind or solar through electrolysis. Surplus electricity from renewable generators is used in an electrolyser to split clean water into hydrogen and oxygen. That hydrogen can then be used to power fuel cell vehicles, make ammonia, generate electricity in a turbine or fuel cell, supply industry, or to export around the world.

The Australian government is contributing around $12mn in grants and loans from its Renewable Technology Fund, while 30 construction jobs and another 30 operational jobs will be created by the works.

South Australia Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis added: “Hydrogen also offers an opportunity to create a new industry in South Australia where we can export our sun and wind resources to the world.

“South Australia is at the global forefront of a broad range of storage technology, from big batteries, to virtual power plants to pumped hydro – now we will also be home to one of the largest hydrogen production facilities in the world as well.”