Momentum builds for eco-industrial precinct in Townsville
The first big industrial project has been approved for the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct.
Townsville
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The first industrial project has been approved in the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, signalling a big future for Townsville in the production of green hydrogen.
The application, approved by Townsville City Council, relates to plans by Australia’s biggest large-scale solar developer, Edify Energy, to develop a 1 gigawatt capacity green hydrogen production plant, solar farm and battery storage facility.
Edify’s initial plans involve generating green hydrogen from a pilot scale facility of 10 megawatts and increasing capacity in stages to meet domestic and export needs.
While the DriveIt NQ motorsport and driver education facility was approved in 2019 and is under way in the precinct, its rezoning for industry was only finalised last year.
Mayor Jenny Hill said Edify Energy’s application had been independently assessed by the council’s planning officers and approved with conditions relating to development staging, roadworks and traffic safety upgrades.
“Momentum continues to build behind the development of northern Australia’s first environmentally sustainable, advanced manufacturing, processing and technology estate right here in Townsville,” Cr Hill said.
“Edify’s application is a major vote of confidence in our city, our developing green hydrogen industry and our Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct.”
Edify Energy CEO John Cole said they were pleased to be a leading player in establishing Lansdown as a new age environmentally sustainable industrial precinct.
“The eco-industrial precinct not only supports the use of natural mineral resources for advanced manufacturing and production, but also the use of renewable energy from the approved and co-located Majors Creek Solar Power Station, using advanced, grid-friendly technology and storage to dispatch renewable energy when it is most needed.”
Mr Cole said they looked forward to working with local businesses, contractors, and suppliers and other stakeholders to make the green hydrogen production plant and Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct a success.
Two other groups, Queensland Pacific Minerals and Imperium3 Townsville, are also looking to establish in the precinct.
Queensland Pacific Minerals plans to produce battery-grade nickel and cobalt sulphate, while iM3TSV is proposing an 18 GWh lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facility.
Cr Hill said Lansdown had the potential to create thousands of jobs and help the economy recover from the impact of the Covid-19 global pandemic.
“We welcome the State Government’s strong support to this jobs-generating precinct and we will continue to lobby the Federal Government to similarly get behind the initiative and help realise the jobs and economic benefits it will deliver for North Queensland,” Cr Hill said.
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Originally published as Momentum builds for eco-industrial precinct in Townsville
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