In April 2020, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) opened the $70 million Renewable Hydrogen Deployment Funding Round, receiving 36 expressions of interest. Seven shortlisted projects were invited to submit full applications, of which ARENA aims to support two or more.
One of the shortlisted projects, H2TAS, is located in Tasmania, at Bell Bay. It is a 10 MW pilot project producing 4.5 tonnes per day of hydrogen for domestic use targeting the transportation sector. H2TAS participants are Woodside (Operator) and Countrywide Renewable Energy (CRE). The H2TAS project demonstrates Tasmania’s renewable advantage, as it uses electricity from Tasmania’s 100% renewable grid to break water (H2O) molecules into its component elements of hydrogen and oxygen, while other shortlisted projects use electricity generated from wind and solar energy parks.
The Tasmanian Government is supporting the ARENA application through a MOU signed between the Tasmanian Government and Woodside that will assist in furthering discussions between the parties. Woodside has also executed a non-binding term sheet with Tasmanian natural gas retailer Tas Gas to develop a framework for blending (and for the potential associated sale of) green hydrogen into the Tasmanian gas network.
ARENA expects to select its preferred projects by mid 2021, and Woodside is targeting a final investment decision on the pilot plant in the third quarter of 2021.
You can find out more about ARENA’s shortlisted projects here
Image: Woodside
