Project Yuri, a renewable hydrogen plant, will be constructed to supply feedstock to the Yara ammonia operations near Karratha, Western Australia (WA), following the final investment decision on the project.
Yara Clean Ammonia is developing Project Yuri in partnership with ENGIE. It will be situated adjacent to the company’s massive anhydrous ammonia production facility and on the current Yara Pilbara lease.
Yara Clean Ammonia President Magnus Krogh Ankarstand said the Yara processing plant would be the first operationally established facility in WA to receive and use green hydrogen molecules to create clean ammonia.
The Australian Government has awarded the project a $47.5 million grant as part of ARENA’s Renewable Hydrogen Deployment Funding Round in recognition of its significance.
According to ARENA CEO Darren Miller, building the first hydrogen projects at scale is a crucial step on Australia’s path to becoming a significant exporter of renewable hydrogen.
“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,” Miller added.
Meanwhile, Project Yuri has also received support from the Western Australian Government in the form of a $2 million grant from the State’s Renewable Hydrogen Fund.
Governmental backing, according to Ankarstand, is additional proof that Project Yuri is a reliable pioneer in the creation of opportunities for renewable hydrogen.
“Yara brings to the project extensive operational experience in Australia and our company’s goal leadership in developing a clean ammonia market for diverse application such as carbon-free food production, low-emission fuel for shipping and power, and ammonia for industrial applications,” Ankarstand said.
According to Yara, a 10 MW electrolyser, 18 MW solar PV, and battery storage are all part of Project Yuri. With a capacity of up to 640 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, Yara added that the project would be one of Australia’s largest electrolysers once it is finished.
The renewable hydrogen facility will be built by Yuri Operations Pty Ltd, which will also supply green hydrogen to Yara Clean Ammonia. Construction is expected to start in October 2022. Renewable hydrogen production is expected to begin in 2024 and supply the ammonia plant.
The Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) contract for the renewable hydrogen plant was awarded to a partnership of Technip Energies and Monford Group.
Yara Pilbara General Manager Laurent Trost has described Project Yuri as an exciting and transformational project for the company’s processing operations in the Pilbara, which include an ammonia plant and technical ammonium nitrate facility.
“Yuri is a key step in the decarbonisation of our operations which supply markets in Asia and Australia,” Trost stated.
According to the company, Project Yuri’s development has also made it possible for the Yara Pilbara Fertilizers ammonia plant to be certified under the Smart Energy Council Zero Carbon Certification Scheme.
The facility has received pre-certification due to its promise to generate renewable ammonia using energy from on-site solar PV. The Council has certified the Yara plant as the first green ammonia project.
The company said technical evaluations for the pre-certification were handled by Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification.
