The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has approved AUS$47.5 million (US$37 million) for ENGIE’s renewable hydrogen and ammonia project near Karratha.
The AUS$87 million Yuri project in western Australia will be built in the Pilbara region and will include a 10MW electrolyser, 18MW solar PV system to power the electrolyser, and 8MW / 5MWh lithium-ion battery.
The plant will produce up to 640 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually and will supply hydrogen and electricity to Yara Pilbara Fertilisers at its neighbouring liquid ammonia facility.
Besides the funding through ARENA’s Renewable Hydrogen Deployment Funding Round, the project is also receiving AUS$2 million funding from the Renewable Hydrogen Fund as part of the government’s Renewable Hydrogen Strategy.
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ARENA chief executive Darren Miller said the Yuri project “is Australia’s first really substantial renewable hydrogen project, and it is one of the largest so far in the world”.
“Whether it’s for decarbonising fertiliser production, or for use as a zero emissions fuel, renewable hydrogen will be vital to reducing emissions in so called hard-to-abate sectors.
“It is also a huge export opportunity for Australia to provide clean energy and emissions free materials to the rest of the world. This is going to be important if we are to achieve zero net emissions in the decades ahead.”
ENGIE executive vice president in charge of Thermal Generation, Hydrogen and Energy Supply Activities, Sébastien Arbola, said: “I am delighted to see the Yuri project moving forward very concretely as it fully illustrates one of the pilars of ENGIE’s hydrogen roadmap: industrial decarbonation.
“Thanks to Australian authorities, we pave the way for hydrogen market development worldwide.”
The project is expected to reach financial close by the end of September, with construction beginning in October.
