$3.25m electrolyser installed at Australian Gas Infrastructure Group’s hydrogen park
South Australia already has the greenest energy mix on the mainland. Now it’s taking another step into relying on renewables with a hydrogen plant to fire up and deliver clean gas to homes.
SA News
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A target of all the gas supplied to South Australian homes being hydrogen is being set as the state pushes further into its world-leading transition to renewable energy, a senior gas industry executive says.
The Australian Gas Networks is building a hydrogen production plant as a pilot toward the transition.
In a significant step for the project, it has installed a $3.25 million electrolyser — the largest in the southern hemisphere — at its Tonsley plant.
It will blend in 5 per cent hydrogen to the gas supply for the Tonsley precinct and 700 homes in Mitchell Park from October.
The Australian Gas Networks operates the pipelines and infrastructure which delivers gas to homes and businesses.
General manager for AGN’s parent company Australian Gas Infrastructure Group Craig de Laine said the Tonsley plant would be a test for increasing hydrogen content statewide.
“A 10 per cent blend by 2030 is absolutely achievable,” he said.
Feasibility studies were now underway to take this to 100 per cent.
“Our network is hydrogen-ready … the ultimate objective is whole-of-network conversion to hydrogen,” he said.
Energy and Mining Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said the Tonsley Hydrogen Park project was “going to start this revolution which we know is coming”.
“This is the start not only of strong, safe consumption of hydrogen but also of an incredibly valuable export opportunity, billions of dollars of value in export opportunity down the track,” he said.
“We start it by proving it up here.”
The Hydrogen Park project is an $11.4 million initiative, partly funded through a $4.9 million grant from the state government.
The 1.25 megawatt Siemens electrolyser will use renewable energy to convert water to hydrogen and oxygen. When burnt, hydrogen produces water not carbon dioxide pollution.
As well as the pilot project testing the resilience of the gas network to hydrogen and householders acceptance of the product, it will also test integration with the electricity grid including soaking up excess solar energy in the day.
Households will pay no extra for the hydrogen with AGN absorbing additional costs during the trial.
Mr van Holst Pellekaan said the pilot would pave the way to cheaper hydrogen.
“There is absolutely no doubt that the production of bulk hydrogen will make hydrogen cheaper so it can then be used as a fuel in an enormously wide range of applications,” he said.