‘This is a real game changer in terms of the way hydrogen is produced’: Hydrogen trial to be groundbreaking

THE Northern Territory government has taken its first significant step towards a future hydrogen industry

• ‘Hydrogen plays a key role towards the Territory’s target of net-zero emissions’: NT joins hydrogen push
• NT unveils strategy to lead global renewable hydrogen market and ‘deliver clean local jobs’

THE Northern Territory government has taken its first significant step towards a future hydrogen industry with a renewable hydrogen trial about to kick off in Tennant Creek.

The company behind the project, Aqua Aerem, is trialling new technology that captures water from the atmosphere in arid environments and then using the water to make hydrogen that can then be used in power plants or exported.

Aqua Aerem’s Darwin-born co-founder Gerard Reiter said the company has been working closely with Territory Generation to develop a world first off grid renewable hydrogen project.

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The trial will be based in Tennant Creek for 12 weeks to collect local production data for further optimisationof the water capture process.

The ultimate success would be a major commercial hydrogen plant based in Central Australia.

Mr Reiter was previously the executive manager network planning and operations for TransGrid, which operates and manages the high voltage electricity transmission network in NSW.

During the catastrophic summer of bushfires in NSW he was in charge of looking after the state’s power system.

Darwin Hydrogen trial. Minister for Renewable Energy Eva lawler inspects Aqua Aerem's mini Hydrogen plant with its creators Jarrod Ward (left) Gerard Reiter (right) which will be trialled at Tennant Creek. PICTURE GARY SHIPWAY

“We’ve been working very hard with the Northern Territory government looking at capturing water from the air specifically for focusing on things like use in communities as well as renewable hydrogen production,” Mr Reiter said.

“The trial unit heading to Tennant Creek will collect data that will guide us in the development of a full size unit that will be used for hydrogen production.

“We have been working closely with T-Gen looking at the power station in Tennant as an off take for the hydrogen.

“The size of the Tennant Creek units produce 2500 litres of water a day and when that is converted into hydrogen it equates to 250 kilograms of hydrogen per day.

“That is enough to power up around 60 to 70 houses.

“This is a real game changer in terms of the way hydrogen is produced.

“One of the challenges that we see is that water will become a scarce resource and when you look at making hydrogen on a large scale water is likely to become one of the determining influences of whether you can actually produce hydrogen or not. Especially without taking hydrogen away from agricultural uses.”

Mr Reiter said the NT was chosen for the project because it has some of the highest direct radiation levels in the world – about 2922 kilowatt hours per square metre per year.

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NT Renewable Energy Minister Eva Lawler said the hydrogen trial is in line with the government’s Hydrogen Strategy released last year.

“As renewable hydrogen technologies are continuously evolving, having innovative trials like this one in the Territory will be essential to ensure the Territory remains at the forefront of the renewable hydrogen industry.

Aqua Aerem is also seeking to provide drought-affected and water-stressed communities.

“Future developments are targeted at remote mining and agricultural applications.