Australia’s first remote renewable hydrogen microgrid went live in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region on Friday last week.
Present on the occasion were Energy Minister Bill Johnston and Hydrogen Industry Minister Alannah MacTiernan to celebrate the first hydrogen being produced at the $9.3 million Denham Hydrogen Demonstration Plant.
The plant, which is slated to be fully operational in early 2023, is expected to power the average demands of 100 households or 20 per cent of Denham’s residents and businesses.
Delivered by Horizon Power and Hybrid Systems Australia, the new microgrid is expected to offset 140,000 litres of diesel annually and create a decarbonisation pathway for future energy systems.
According to a media release issued by the WA government, the new hydrogen demonstration plant includes a 704-kW solar farm, a 348-kW hydrogen electrolyser, and a 100-kW fuel cell, which is designed to serve as an alternative to diesel generators.
The state government has allocated $5.7 million in funding for the project, with $1 million from the Renewable Hydrogen Fund.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has invested $2.7 million in funding through its Advancing Renewables Program.
“The Denham Hydrogen Demonstration Plant is leading the energy transition to new technologies, as we work towards the McGowan Government’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050,” said Minister Johnston.
Minister MacTiernan said the plant, once fully operational, will show how renewable hydrogen can be used to replace diesel and other fossil fuels to streamline WA’s transition to net zero by 2050.
“This project is the first step towards rolling out renewable hydrogen domestically – and has helped us build critical skills and understanding to move us along as a producer and user of renewable hydrogen,” MacTiernan added.
