Following the completion of a 15-year water supply agreement with Water Corporation, a renewable hydrogen project in Waroona is on the verge of going into production.
Western Australian (WA) Government said Frontier Energy‘s Bristol Springs Green Hydrogen Project is set to be one of Australia’s first low-cost renewable hydrogen projects. Production is scheduled to begin in 2025, with Stage One production of roughly 4.4 million kg of renewable hydrogen per year, with the potential to expand significantly as demand for renewable hydrogen grows.
“The Bristol Springs Project is a fantastic example of a WA firm leading the way to becoming one of the lowest cost producers of Australian-made renewable hydrogen,” Hydrogen Industry Minister Roger Cook said.
Minister Cook stated that as the Government aim to establish the State as a leading producer, exporter, and user of renewable hydrogen, the McGowan Government is committed to aiding such emergent hydrogen production projects.
“Renewable hydrogen will be critical for hard-to-abate sectors, such as industrial processing and transport, to reduce their emissions and help the State achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” Minister Cook added.
According to the State Government, water is a necessary component of renewable, or green, hydrogen, which is created by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electrolysis and renewable electricity.
“Comprising two parts hydrogen, water is essential for renewable hydrogen production and Water Corporation’s long-term supply agreement with Frontier Energy is a win-win, and an important milestone in developing the renewable hydrogen industry in WA,” Water Minister Somine McGurk said.
Minister McGurk stated that renewable hydrogen would help decarbonise WA and maintain a vibrant, resilient, and diverse economy in one of the world’s most climate-impacted regions.
“I commend Water Corporation for supporting what is expected to be one of the first, low-cost commercial renewable hydrogen projects in Australia,” Minister McGurk added.
Frontier Energy’s 114MW industrial solar farm will power the electrolysers for the first stage of the Bristol Springs Project, with any excess renewable energy supplied into the grid.
The 15-year arrangement represents Water Corporation’s first committed commercial supply to a renewable hydrogen project, bolstering the State Government’s pipeline of hydrogen investment. The supply will come from existing scheme capacity, with potential expansions to support the project’s growth.
The Bristol Springs Project is estimated to generate approximately 300 new jobs during construction and approximately 50 extra jobs throughout production.
Renewable hydrogen can be used for transportation, industrial feedstock, energy generation, and natural gas mixing.
After the announcement of the Renewable Hydrogen Strategy in 2019, the McGowan Government committed a total of $162.5 million to promote the growth of the renewable hydrogen industry in the State.
