(Denham / Australia) – Hybrid Systems Australia has commissioned a renewable hydrogen demonstration plant together with Australian electricity supplier Horizon Power. The aim is to test the technical feasibility and commercial viability of using the energy source as a source of baseload electricity in Western Australia.
Project team with political celebrities visiting the facility: Nathan Lucken (third from right), project manager of Hybrid Systems; Stephanie Unwin (third from left), managing director of Horizon Power; Energy Minister Bill Johnston (fourth from left); Minister for Hydrogen Industry and Regional Development Alannah MacTiernan (fifth from left). © Hybrid Systems Australia
The official launch was attended by the state's hydrogen industry and energy ministers, Alannah MacTiernan and Bill Johnston. The research project covers the average electricity consumption of 100 households in the port town of Denham, which has around 700 inhabitants. The yield corresponds to around 20 percent of the private and industrial electricity needs of the town on the Australian west coast and replaces around 140.000 liters of diesel fuel from the electricity generators previously used each year.
Findings about the efficiency of fuel cells
Full operation will start in early 2023. The system will then provide, among other things, insights into the applications of renewable hydrogen and storage capability in the power generation sector and demonstrate the efficiency of fuel cells compared to batteries.
Investments amounted to 9,3 million Australian dollars (6,08 million euros). Of this, the government of Western Australia provided $5,7 million, and another $2,6 million came from the Renewable Hydrogen Fund. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) funded the project with an additional $XNUMX million.
Green electricity from solar park
Hybrid Systems Australia, the renewable energy subsidiary of the energy supplier Pacific Energy Group Holdings Pty Ltd, was responsible for the planning, construction and commissioning of the plant. ENGV, also a subsidiary of Pacific Energy, installed a 348-kilowatt electrolyzer, a hydrogen compression and storage system and a 100-kilowatt fuel cell. The companies also built a 704 kilowatt solar farm to generate the green electricity needed for hydrogen production.
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Final work: The electricity produced using fuel cells is fed into an island grid and supplies some of the private households and companies in the town of Denham in the state of Western Australia. © Hybrid Systems Australia
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Project team with political celebrities visiting the facility: Nathan Lucken (third from right), project manager of Hybrid Systems; Stephanie Unwin (third from left), managing director of Horizon Power; Energy Minister Bill Johnston (fourth from left); Minister for Hydrogen Industry and Regional Development Alannah MacTiernan (fifth from left). © Hybrid Systems Australia
