Feasibility of Renewable Hydrogen to Decarbonise the Esperance Region in WA

April 8th, 2022

Feasibility of Renewable Hydrogen to Decarbonise the Esperance Region in WA

Horizon Power is examining the feasibility of producing renewables-based hydrogen in the Esperance region of Western Australia to support regional decarbonisation.

Main proponents:

Horizon Power

 Main end-use classification:

Microgrid – power use

 Status:

Under development – feasibility study

 Estimated cost:

 
Other involvement:

 

 Production details:

Under evaluation

 Location:

Western Australia, Australia

 Announced funding:

Feasibility study:
AUD$700,000 – Federal Government Regional and Remote Communities Reliability Fund (Round Two Award)

Project description

Horizon Power, the Western Australian Government’s regional and remote power provider, is investigating the potential to develop a ‘hub and spoke’ hydrogen supply chain model.

This project will investigate the feasibility of producing renewables-based hydrogen in a centralised location in Esperance, a town on the Southern Ocean coastline of Western Australia approximately 720 kilometres east-southeast of  Perth, by using existing wind assets, new assets and the spill energy from the renewables hub. The produced hydrogen would then be transported and used to:

  • decarbonise the diesel-reliant towns of Hopetoun and Norseman; and
  • supply future 3rd generation ‘zero diesel’ standalone power systems in the region.

This project is being delivered through Horizon Power’s Integrated Resource Planning framework, which takes account of stakeholder and community feedback, demand and energy forecasting, engineering and financial modelling, market testing and land assessments, amongst other factors.

Horizon Power will be engaging the communities of Esperance, Hopetoun, and Norseman in the second quarter of 2022 to discuss the project.

The investigation is being undertaken in three stages:

  • Stage One: end May 2022 to conclude broad options assessment
  • Stage Two: end November 2022 to refine a preferred model for exploration
  • Stage Three: end May 2023 to have concluded a market assessment of a preferred option, should this be considered worthwhile

Milestones:

July 2021: The study receives AUD$700,000 in funding from the Federal Government’s Regional and Remote Communities Reliability Fund (Round Two Award)

 

This description was reviewed by the project proponent in April 2022.