Works have commenced on Australia’s first renewable hydrogen demonstration plant in Denham, Western Australia, 800kms north from Perth.
The Hon. Alannah MacTiernan, Minister for Hydrogen Industry, was there to turn the sod on Friday, 7 May 2021.
Traditionally remote communities have relied on diesel generated microgrids, but Denham’s unique location has met the requirements for a dedicated solar farm to test if renewable energy could produce baseload power.
Shire of Shark Bay has partnered with Horizon Power and provided the land for the solar farm.
The plant would deliver electricity into Denham’s hybrid power system, generating the equivalent renewable energy to power 100 households annually.
Denham currently uses wind power but needs around 1 million litres of diesel each year for the town’s back-up power supply.
The new 704kW solar farm will include 348kW hydrogen electrolyser and a 100kW fuel cell to produce renewable hydrogen, which will be stored on site and used when needed.
It is hoped this exciting project will be a model to roll out to towns across the State.
The innovative project, which is expected to be commissioned and operational by early 2022, has been made possible with funding from the Western Australian Government’s Renewable Hydrogen Fund and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s Advancing Renewables program.
