- $12.5M Green Hydrogen Project Partially Funded by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and Japanese company Marubeni
South Australia remains firmly at the fore of the increasingly lucrative hydrogen trading market as work begins on a multi-million-dollar hydrogen production project – which will see green energy exported to Indonesia.
The $12.5 million project – based at Bolivar, north of Adelaide – is part funded by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and Japanese company Marubeni.
The facility will create low-cost green hydrogen from renewable resources and allow for hydrogen to be transported in a metal hydride container from South Australia to Indonesia, while contributing to grid stabilisation with the deployed battery energy storage system based at Bolivar.
The project consists of a five-megawatt battery energy storage system and a demonstrator scale 150-kilowatt electrolyser that uses proton exchange membrane technology.
The demonstration plant is anticipated to be operational by August 2023, with transportation to Indonesia taking place in late 2023.
The Bolivar site, owned by SA Water, provides the potential for Marubeni to expand its current capacity, dependent on future demand for hydrogen.
The sod was turned on the project this week, after Premier Peter Malinauskas and Trade and Investment Minister Nick Champion met with the Marubeni Corporation during a trade mission to Tokyo in October.
The Marubeni Corporation is a major Japanese integrated trading and investment business conglomerate founded in May 1858.
The company employs approximately 4,453 staff across 137 offices in 67 countries globally. The business covers a wide range of sectors from metal and mineral resources, ICT, real estate, forest products, food and chemicals to energy, plant and infrastructure, construction, automotive and industrial machinery.
Marubeni Australia Ltd has offices in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, as well as a presence in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
The Malinauskas Labor Government is committed to its Hydrogen Jobs Plan, which will see the establishment of a hydrogen facility including a hydrogen storage capacity in the Whyalla region.
Nick Champion said, “South Australia is already a leader in renewable energy, which places our state in a strong position to become a global leader in green hydrogen for the long-term future.
We have a long-standing relationship with the Marubeni Corporation and its choice to establish this hydrogen facility in South Australia is no coincidence – our state has demonstrated capabilities and huge potential for expansion in this industry.
It’s green lights ahead for South Australia’s renewable energy future.
Satoru Harada, Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Power Business Division, Marubeni Corporation, Tokyo said, “
Marubeni has been developing a green hydrogen and BESS project with the close cooperation of the South Australian Government’s Department for Trade and Investment and Department for Energy and Mining.
The ground-breaking ceremony of the project represents a significant milestone in Marubeni’s commitment to a clean energy future.
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Green hydrogen has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce and use energy, and we are proud to be one of the frontrunners of this effort in South Australia.”
