12 July 2023
Equipment, Design and Preferred Suppliers Selected for Countrywide Hydrogen’s Tasmanian Projects
Highlights
• Global engineering company Wood, together with Countrywide Hydrogen, complete project definition, technology selection and basic design for Countrywide Hydrogen’s Tasmanian green hydrogen projects.
• Plug Power selected as the preferred contractor to supply 5-megawatt (MW) Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysers at the Brighton (Hobart) and Western Junction (Launceston) sites.
• Fabrum selected as the preferred contractor to provide its H35 Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRS) at the Brighton, Western Junction and Burnie sites. • Wasco Australia selected as the construction contractor to work with Fabrum on the construction and balance of works on the projects.
ReNu Energy Limited (ReNu Energy) (ASX:RNE) is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary Countrywide Hydrogen Pty Ltd (Countrywide Hydrogen) is progressing towards a final investment decision for its Tasmanian Green Hydrogen projects with the selection of suppliers for electrolysers, HRS and construction contractor:
• Wood (https://www.woodplc.com/) and Countrywide Hydrogen have completed the selection of the technology, preferred suppliers, basic design and capital cost estimates for Countrywide Hydrogen’s three green hydrogen projects in Tasmania.
• Plug Power Inc (Plug Power) has been selected as the supplier of two 5MW PEM electrolysers, each designed for up to 2,100kg/day of hydrogen production. Plug Power (www.plugpower.com/) is a leader in comprehensive hydrogen solutions for the green hydrogen economy.
• Fabrum Solutions Limited (Fabrum) has been selected as the supplier of the HRS (comprising a refueller hub and hydrogen tube trailer storage system). Fabrum (https://fabrum.nz/) is a New Zealand based company with several green hydrogen projects under construction in Australia and internationally.
• Wasco (Australia) Pty Ltd (Wasco) has been selected as the construction contractor to work with Fabrum on the construction and balance of works for the projects. Wasco (https://wascoenergy.com.au/) is an Australian-based construction contractor, and operations and maintenance services contractor.
• The parties are progressing the contractual documentation for the supply and installation of the PEM electrolysers and HRS, the construction contract and an interface agreement setting out the support, cooperation and coordination each contractor will provide to other contractors.
ReNu Energy’s Executive Chairman Boyd White said: A significant amount of work has been completed during the last six months in progressing the technical side of Countrywide Hydrogen’s Tasmania green hydrogen projects. The culmination of that work is the technology and supplier selection and design for our projects. We are now at the stage to commence final design and complete the relevant contractual documentation to deliver these projects.
Countrywide Hydrogen’s Managing Director Geoffrey Drucker said: These appointments will serve to assure potential customers for our green hydrogen in Tasmania that the projects are on track for first production and supply by mid-2025.
Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh said: Plug Power is pleased to support Countrywide Hydrogen with its ambitious green hydrogen projects in the State of Tasmania. The plants are strategically located to leverage existing infrastructure and Plug Power’s PEM electrolyser systems are a perfect complement to the plant designs.
Project background and scope
Countrywide Hydrogen is progressing three green hydrogen projects in Tasmania for the road transport and natural gas sectors for emissions reduction in the State. Production facilities are planned for Brighton near Hobart and Western Junction near Launceston that include a HRS, with another HRS planned for Burnie to complete statewide refueling coverage.
The hydrogen will be produced via electrolysis with renewable power planned to be initially sourced from the State’s grid, with subsequent supply from behind-the-meter solar and power purchase agreements from wind, solar and hydro operators. Water will be supplied from TasWater’s network.
The strategically located Western Junction and Brighton sites are planned to each have a Plug Power 5MW PEM electrolyser and a Fabrum H35 HRS. Combined, the sites can produce up to 4,200kg/day of hydrogen per day with storage capacity of 2,000kg.
Each electrolyser project is designed to allow for the installation of a second 5MW electrolyser when demand at either site exceeds two tonnes of hydrogen per day. The design allows for supply security through electrolyser redundancy and the use of tube trailers for storage – i.e., if any unplanned outage should occur at one site, the other site can continue production and transport the hydrogen in tube trailers to the other site.
The HRS design allows for having an equivalent fleet of 70 fuel cell electric trucks refuelling at each site and for the future installation of additional storage and compression to double the capacity of the stations. The HRS at Burnie will be supplied from the Western Junction electrolyser site. A connection flange to the TasGas network is planned at both the Western Junction and Brighton sites, allowing the injection of hydrogen into the TasGas network and future supply to local industry.
About ReNu Energy (https://renuenergy.com.au/) ReNu Energy’s purpose is to strategically drive the transition to a low carbon future. It does this by investing in renewable and clean energy technologies and identifying and developing hydrogen projects to create stakeholder value, enabling the transformation to a low carbon future through collaboration and innovation. ReNu Energy’s vision is to be a leader in the renewable and clean energy sector in Australia striving for a sustainable future, producing hydrogen for domestic use and with a portfolio of domestic and international projects.
About Countrywide Hydrogen (www.countrywidehydrogen.com) Countrywide Hydrogen, a wholly owned subsidiary of ASX-listed company ReNu Energy Limited (ASX:RNE), develops renewable hydrogen projects in Australia and abroad where offtake opportunities and abundant renewable energy sources prevail. The company has four projects under development in Australia and one in Southeast Asia. In Australia, the company’s focus is on producing and supplying hydrogen to meet demand domestic targeting decarbonising the road transport and natural gas sectors as well as displacing diesel in power generation.
About Fabrum (www.fabrum.nz ) Fabrum, headquartered in Christchurch, New Zealand, is a leader in industrialised small to mediumscale liquefaction systems and composite cryogenic vessels. Fabrum has earned a reputation as an innovator in zero-emission transition technologies to enable a lower-carbon economy and is actively deploying end-to-end liquid hydrogen solutions globally across heavy transport, mining and aviation markets. The company’s core competencies include green hydrogen production, storage, dispensing, and system integration.
About Plug Power (www.plugpower.com) Plug Power is building an end-to-end green hydrogen ecosystem, from production, storage and delivery to energy generation, to help its customers meet their business goals and decarbonize the economy. In creating the first commercially viable market for hydrogen fuel cell technology, the company has deployed more than 60,000 fuel cell systems and over 185 fuelling stations, more than anyone else in the world, and is the largest buyer of liquid hydrogen. With plans to build and operate a green hydrogen highway across North America and Europe, Plug is building a state-of-the-art Gigafactory to produce electrolysers and fuel cells and multiple green hydrogen production plants that will yield 500 tons of liquid green hydrogen daily by year end 2025.
Article Source: https://renuenergy.com.au/
