Horizon hydrogen to start construction

Construction of Horizon Power’s Denham renewable hydrogen project will soon get under way, a $7.3 million pilot of the fuel’s potential.

The town will have a 704 kilowatt solar farm and a 348kW electrolyser to produce electricity and hydrogen, with the hydrogen to be stored and drawn down at times when the solar farm is not operating.

A fuel cell can then turn the hydrogen back into water, releasing the stored electricity.

State Hydrogen Minister Alannah MacTiernan turned the first sod on the project today.

Hybrid Systems Australia was appointed contractor for the Denham project last year.

The state government chipped in $5.7 million for the hydrogen microgrid, with $2.6 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

It adds to a growing pipeline of small scale hydrogen production projects in Western Australia.

In Jandakot, Atco has been operating a clean energy hub using solar, batteries and an electrolyser for hydrogen.

Atco and Fortescue have a hydrogen refuelling station under construction, according to a CSIRO database, while a series of other projects are under development.

Those include two which received ARENA support this week.

About $43 million will be granted to Engie’s project on the Burrup Peninsula with Yara Pilbara Fertilisers.

They will build a 10MW electrolyser to produce green hydrogen for use in Yara’s ammonia production.

Atco and the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group won $29 million of federal support to build a 10MW electrolyser at Warradarge, to inject hydrogen into the natural gas network.