Mitsubishi Heavy Industries joins Port of Newcastle to develop new clean hub

Clean Energy Precinct to produce ammonia at key Australian port

Click to enlarge. Current Port of Newcastle facilities, and the Clean Energy Precinct (top left). Source: Port of Newcastle.

MHI has joined the Clean Energy Precinct project in Newcastle, Australia, and will contribute technical expertise to ongoing FEED work. The partners indicate that MHI’s experience developing the Takasago Hydrogen Park in Japan (the “world’s first integrated hydrogen validation facility” which began operations in September 2023) will be leveraged, with the Clean Energy Precinct to share many similar features.

MHI’s Takasago Hydrogen Park is the first in the world that can validate the full value chain of hydrogen from production to power and we will be able to utilise the knowledge MHI has in relation to chemical plant projects, including the production and handling of hydrogen, ammonia synthesis and storage, to best position the CEP, the Port and the Hunter Region for success as a future global hydrogen hub.

Port of Newcastle CEO Craig Carmody, in his organisation’s official press release, 11 Mar 2025

We appreciate the invitation from the Port of Newcastle to be an advisor for the Port’s common user facility development in the Clean Energy Precinct. It’s an honour for us to be able to contribute to the project leveraging our technical expertise and experience in the hydrogen and ammonia value chain. We are looking forward to supporting the Port of Newcastle team.

Takehiko Kikuchi, Senior Fellow and Chief Regional Officer for Asia Pacific & India at MHI, in the Port of Newcastle’s official press release, 11 Mar 2025

The Clean Energy Precinct will be spread across 220 hectares of land on Kooragang Island, featuring “clean energy production, storage, distribution and export” facilities, focused on electrolytic hydrogen and ammonia. The site location is ideal, with existing industrial power and water connections, adjacent port berth and an existing skilled workforce. Newcastle is the world’s largest coal port and the largest port on Australia’s east coast, with more than 4,400 “ship movements” each year.

Takasago Hydrogen Park

Located at MHI’s Takasago Machinery Works in Hyogo Prefecture, west central Japan, the facility has three sections. Hydrogen production, storage, and utilization is tested across the site, including:

• alkaline electrolyzer production capacity of around 100kg per hour (units provided by HydrogenPro AS of Norway)
• large-scale hydrogen storage (around 3,500kg)
• and multiple gas turbines for validation of hydrogen-fired power generation, including a Mitsubishi Power JAC (J-series Air-Cooled) large frame gas turbine (450 MW), and two H-25 gas turbines (40 MW)

Mitsubishi Power is also developing its own 100% ammonia-fired gas turbines (based on existing models like the H-25), with verification testing scheduled for this year.