Trafigura plans new green export project in South Australia

Port Pirie

Trafigura and the South Australian state government will jointly fund FEED work into a commercial-scale green hydrogen export facility in Port Pirie, 200km north of Adelaide, the South Australian capital city. At full-scale the facility will produce 100 tonnes per day green hydrogen from 440 MW of electrolysers, with some earmarked for local use and the remainder to be exported as green ammonia (max. 200,000 tonnes per year). 100% renewable electricity will be sourced to power the facility. A final investment decision is due by the end of this year, with construction to start in 2023.

Oxygen byproduct to supply neighboring smelter

Oxygen produced during electrolysis will be sent next-door to Nyrstar’s Port Pirie smelter, one of the world’s largest producers of lead and silver. The project partners indicate that the pilot-scale electrolysis plant – 85 MW capacity – will supply 20% of the smelter’s requirements, meaning the full-scale plant will supply 100% of the smelter’s oxygen needs. In fact, the partners plan to integrate the electrolysis plant into Nyrstar’s existing smelter facilities, making development significantly easier than for a greenfield site.

As a leading multi-metals manufacturer, producing and recycling vital metals required for the energy transition, Nyrstar Australia needs to remain competitive on the global stage, on cost and in terms of carbon intensity.  The Port Pirie Green Hydrogen Project will meet this challenge head on by delivering renewable energy and oxygen to prove that we can decarbonise a heavy industrial facility and at the same time ensure more efficient and cost-effective production of low carbon metals for the world. This will create a positive differentiator for our products with international customers, and help underpin a stronger, more secure, more sustainable future for Nyrstar Australia.

Dale Webb, Nyrstar’s Vice-President Australian Operations in the official press release, 9 Dec 2021