ATCO Australia’s ScaleH2 ammonia export project in NSW will receive funding from both the Australian and German governments. Feasibility work will begin on the 800,000 tonnes-per-year ammonia plant, also being developed by NSW Powerfuels. The announcement comes as the two-year HySupply project released its final report, and a new government-level MoU was signed to develop an export supply chain from Australia to Rotterdam.
The WA state government, the Port of Rotterdam and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research will embark on a trilateral export study. The study will help fast-track development of Oakajee Mid West ammonia export hub. The state government has also launched new guidelines for land-use for large-scale renewable hydrogen projects, and announced the creation of three entities to help projects move through the approvals process.
CWP Global and Djibouti’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources have agreed to develop a 10 GW renewable energy hub in the African Republic, which will power the production of renewable hydrogen & derivatives like ammonia. In two related Australian updates, the AREH will become the Australian Renewable Energy Hub, and Andrew Forrest-owned Squadron Energy announced it will acquire Australia-based CWP Renewables and its significant project pipeline.
Kepco and the Hydrogen Utility have signed an offtake agreement for renewable ammonia produced at the under-development H2-Hub in Gladstone, Queensland. The pair will develop supply chains for the ammonia product to be exported to Korea, where it will be used to decarbonise power stations. In Western Australia, two new renewable energy-powered, million-tonne-per-year projects have been launched, with Korean-based KOMIPO and Australia-based Progressive Green Solutions agreeing to develop the new export plants.
The governments of Australia and Singapore have signed a new, bilateral trade & energy agreement. Together, the two countries will cooperate on maritime decarbonisation, green corridor development, R&D and the certification of clean hydrogen & ammonia.
FFI is among six organisations to be allocated land in the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area, about four hundred kilometers north of Western Australia’s capital city Perth. Oakajee SIA is adjacent to huge solar & wind generating potential, and is envisioned to become a renewable hydrogen-based industrial precinct & export hub.
Fortescue Future Industries and Incitec Pivot will progress plans to convert the Gibson Island ammonia production facility to run on renewable hydrogen feedstock. A grant from Australian government body ARENA will help FEED work begin immediately, with FID expected around 2025. We also explore more renewable project updates from Peru and Chile.
Realisation of electrochemical nitrogen reduction to ammonia has proven to be a herculean scientific challenge. Recently, a focus on Lithium-mediated synthesis has delivered promising results. Last year a team from Monash University in Australia unveiled their phosphonium “proton shuttle” method, and this year have reported nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency for the reaction (with promising reaction rates). Late last year, a team from the Technical University of Demark (DTU) reported that addition of small amounts of oxygen gas drastically increased Faradaic efficiencies and production rates. The results push electrochemical synthesis R&D ever-closer to elusive benchmarks set for commercial realisation.