(Adelaide / Australia) – The project developer Amp Energy has partnered with the Australian mining company Iron Road Ltd. signed an agreement to develop large-scale green hydrogen projects. The location is the planned deep-sea port of Cape Hardy, a headland on the east coast of the Eyre Peninsula in the state of Southern Australia.
Electrolyzer capacity of five gigawatts
According to the company, Amp chose the Cape Hardy project partly because of its strategic location. There is direct access to the high-voltage network next to the port. The company intends to develop and build up to five gigawatts of electrolyzer capacity in the region over the next decade. This would allow more than five million tonnes of green ammonia to be produced per year.
According to its own information, Amp Energy is one of the largest hydrogen project developers in Australia and is pushing ahead with plans for 20 gigawatts of electrolyzer capacity. The yield could be used to produce 19 million tons of green ammonia. In 2021, Amp founded the Renewable Energy Hub of South Australia and announced two billion Australian dollars (1,2 billion euros) of investment in renewable energy generation and battery storage.
The Canada-based company has around a dozen offices in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia and is backed by institutional investors, including the global private equity firm Carlyle Group.
Wheat and hydrogen export center
In Cape Hardy, however, hydrogen will not only be produced and, if necessary, its derivatives will be used or exported. Around 1.100 hectares of land are also available for storage and port infrastructure for the mining and agricultural industries' export projects.
When completed, Cape Hardy will relieve pressure on Port Lincoln further south and save 64.000 truckloads of grain per year. 60 percent of the Eyre Peninsula's average grain exports are expected to be shipped via the expanded port. © Screenshot Iron Road Ltd.
The companies Eyre Peninsula Cooperative Bulk Handling Limited (EPCBH), Iron Road Developments and Macquarie Capital joined forces in 2020 to form a joint venture called “Portalis” to invest $250 million. The South Australian government had already promised the project funding of 2019 million Australian dollars (25 million euros) for further development in 15.
The port of Cape Hardy is to be expanded in three stages: First, facilities will be built for the storage, handling and export of up to 1,3 million tons of grain per year, as well as goods such as minerals, hay and fertilizer. The jetties are designed for medium-sized container ships (Panamax class). Stage II envisages the expansion into a transshipment point suitable for larger quantities of bulk goods. Finally, in the third stage, a connection to the railway network is added, which expands the port's catchment area far beyond the region.
According to the PLUS (Planning and Land Use Services) planning authority, which is subordinate to the South Australian Department of Commerce, the complete expansion of Cape Hardy would require a total of several billion dollars. Work on the first stage of the deep-sea port is scheduled to begin in May 2023 and be completed a year later.
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Cape Hardy in the Australian state of Southern Australia is to be expanded into a deep-sea port for national use in three stages. © Amp Energy
