Eco Energy World (EEW) has announced a major project that is set to position Australia as a world leader in the development of green hydrogen.
The group is proposing to combine a planned 300MW solar farm in Raglan, Queensland, with a 200MW hydrogen plant which will produce 33,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year using electrolyser technology.
The project represents one of the world’s largest green hydrogen and solar PV developments and is located near the Port of Gladstone in Queensland. The project’s total cost is estimated at $500 million.
Reza Ghanei, Development Director for EEW, said, “We are pleased to announce the progression of our hydrogen business segment today.
“This new sector for the group will harness our considerable existing expertise in developing renewable energy projects and energy storage, in order to take advantage of what we anticipate could be one of the world’s key renewable energy markets, green hydrogen.”
Svante Kumlin, Chairman of EEW, said, “Queensland is well-positioned strategically to act as a major player in the future generation and export of hydrogen.
“This is due to its existing gas pipeline infrastructure, access to a deep-water export port at Gladstone and significant solar resources that make it an extremely attractive location for this emerging industry.
“Having studied the evolving hydrogen industry since 2017, it now makes sense for us to enter this exciting market as we see the ongoing growth in large-scale electrolyser production and that consequently, capex costs are rapidly falling.
“This significant project marks a key milestone in our own corporate development as we work in parallel to seek a public listing for the group on an international stock exchange during the course of 2021.
“We believe that a listing will allow us to fully capitalise on other international opportunities and meet our ambitious growth objectives.”
EEW has a long-standing track record with 1,200MW of utility-scale solar PV plants successfully developed worldwide, and has decided to leverage this experience by entering the complementary emerging hydrogen sector.
EEW has subsequently entered into a partnership with an internationally recognised hydrogen electrolyser manufacturer as a technology partner.
John Palmer, Head of Australia for EEW, said, “As with any new market, there will be challenges facing Australia’s hydrogen industry, however, we are determined that we will be the first to achieve this important milestone and at scale.
“We are pioneers in the Australian energy market having developed the first merchant non-subsidised solar PV plants, and are committed to Australia’s long-term success in the renewable energy market.”
Project construction will start as early as Q3 2022 and create up to 100 jobs.
When operational, the facility will employ a significant number of full-time positions.
