(Sydney / Australia) – The Australian Edify Energy Pty Ltd. has received approval from the city council in Townsville, Australia, to build and operate a one gigawatt green hydrogen production facility. The committee also approved the installation of the “Majors Creek” photovoltaic system and battery storage in the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, an industrial area in which companies with environmentally friendly and sustainable manufacturing, technology and processing are and will be located.
In the first phase of the project, a ten megawatt electrolysis pilot plant will be built and gradually expanded. “We are delighted to be playing a leading role in the creation of the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct,” said Edify Energy chief executive John Cole. The existing rail and road infrastructure linking Lansdown to the Port of Townsville makes the district an “excellent location” to develop a green hydrogen export industry and meet its growing needs “domestically and globally”. 
The 200 megawatt Majors Creek solar farm is being developed near Woodstock, about 30 minutes' drive south of Townsville. The forecast yield is 532 gigawatt hours per year.
City of Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct had the potential to “significantly boost the economy of Townsville and northern Queensland for decades to come”. The Edify green hydrogen production plant is one of the first in the state to receive planning approval. Details about technology, finances and schedule were not given.
According to the city council, two other companies have already decided to set up shop in the Lansdown Eco-Industrial area. Queensland Pacific Minerals plans to produce battery-grade nickel and cobalt sulfate, while Imperium3 Townsville (iM3TSV) wants to develop a lithium-ion battery cell production facility with a capacity of 18 gigawatt hours.
Edify Energy had already welcomed Queensland Pacific Minerals in December: “We look forward to working with the QPM team to supply the facility with clean green electricity from the Majors Creek solar power plant,” the company announced at the time.
Will Townsville become a hydrogen hub?
Last summer the... Sun Metals Zinc Refinery explains that she wants to set up hydrogen production in Townsville based on renewable energies. Sun Metals Corp, a subsidiary of the world's largest zinc, lead and silver producer Korea Zinc Company Ltd., received a grant of five million Australian dollars (3,1 million euros) from the $15 million Hydrogen Industry Development Fund (HIDF).
The electrolysis will be built next to the “Sun Metals Solar Farm”, which went into operation in May 2018 and is located about 15 kilometers south of Townsville. The installed solar capacity is 125 megawatts. The yield is expected to cover 30 percent of the energy required for hydrogen production and significantly reduce production costs.
In July of this year, the US car manufacturer Hyzon Motors Inc. announced that it would deliver five hydrogen-powered 154-ton “road trains” to Ark Energy Corporation, also a subsidiary of Korea Zinc. The buyer is again the Ark subsidiary Townsville Logistics.
Queensland published a hydrogen strategy and launched a funding program in May last year (Hydrogen Industry Strategy 2019-2024). This focuses on supporting innovation, facilitating private sector investment and developing new technologies. A fund to develop the hydrogen industry in Queensland includes 15 million Australian dollars (9,1 million euros). 23 companies submitted project proposals.
Photos
Edify is investing in hydrogen production in Townsville. © Edify
Map
Majors Creek is half an hour's drive south of Townsville. © Edify
