Infinite Blue Energy Group (IBE)’s landmark green hydrogen project, Arrowsmith, is a step closer to delivery, as the company partners up with leading international energy services provider Petrofac.
The project is moving into the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) phase, to support the Final Investment Decision (FID) of the $350 million project in 2021.
Located north of Perth, the Arrowsmith Plant will be in an area with abundant renewable energy resources.
Green hydrogen for the plant will be produced using renewable energy from solar and wind, with zero carbon debt.
Once complete, the Arrowsmith Plant will produce 25 tonnes per day of green hydrogen, with the ability to be expanded to a global scale plant supporting the export of liquid hydrogen to Asia Pacific. Petrofac said it is working diligently with IBE to facilitate the production schedule.
Petrofac is an international energy services company which designs, builds, and maintains infrastructure for energy industries globally.
Petrofac Operations Director, Adam Cheesman, said the development of the plant was really positive for Western Australia and for the energy industry as a whole.
“This is breaking new ground in terms of green hydrogen production, but the various elements of the design are all well-established and are proven technologies,” Mr Cheesman said.
“This agreement with IBE is an important milestone for Petrofac as it continues its expansion into new and renewable energy.
“We want to be the partner of choice when it comes to hydrogen production, offering services across the asset life cycle, including operations and maintenance support.”
Petrofac has been deploying its engineering, procurement and construction expertise in support of renewable energy projects since 2008. It is actively expanding its renewable energy portfolio and, in early-2020, announced contract awards and strategic partnerships to support carbon capture and storage and hydrogen projects in the UK and internationally.
Recent Petrofac renewable projects include the 900MW BorWin3 offshore wind project, HKZ offshore wind project, Galloper offshore wind farm and the Seagreen wind farm.
IBE plans to have the Arrowsmith Plant operating by late 2022. The project is expected to drive significant growth in regional jobs, energy security and a considerable reduction in Western Australia’s carbon emissions.
Under the IBE model, the Arrowsmith Green Hydrogen Plant is scalable, with the ability to be replicated efficiently in other areas throughout regional Australia. This allows for more sustainable regions and shorter energy supply chains.
IBE Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Gauld, said the exciting potential for Arrowsmith could help Australia become a leader in green hydrogen.
“Through the completion of the Arrowsmith project and IBE’s innovative business model, Australia can advance its interests on the global stage as a leader in the development of ground-breaking green hydrogen energy solutions and accelerate the creation of a major employment strategy and industry for Australia in the immediate future,” Mr Gauld said.
“We are delighted to work with Petrofac, who bring world-class engineering experience to this vital project,” Mr Gauld said.
In August, the WA Government announced a $22 million funding boost for the state’s renewable hydrogen industry and brought forward the Western Australian Renewable Hydrogen Strategy targets by a decade.
Western Australian Regional Development Minister, Alannah MacTiernan, said, “Interest in renewable hydrogen is rapidly accelerating and our government is moving to position WA as a world leader in hydrogen production.
“Investing in renewable hydrogen and bringing forward our targets sends a clear message to the industry that we are serious about Western Australia being powered by clean energy.”
