HIF Tasmania eFuels Facility
HIF Tasmania eFuels Facility
The project proponent is developing a synthetic eFuels production facility to be located near the town of Burnie in Tasmania.
| Main proponents:
HIF Global |
Main end-use classification:
Synthetic eFuels (methanol-based) |
Status:
Under development – a Notice of Intent seeking development approval for the facility has been lodged with the Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority |
Estimated cost:
AUD$1 billion at full scale – based on press reports |
| Other involvement:
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Production details:
To be based on planned electrolyser capacity of 144 megawatt (MW) when fully operational |
Location:
Tasmania, Australia |
Announced funding:
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Project description
(Note: This project is one of six applicants that have been shortlisted by ARENA and invited to submit a full application in the next stage of the AUD$2 billion Hydrogen Headstart Program.)
In July 2022, it was announced that HIF Asia Pacific, a wholly owned subsidiary of HIF Global, had filed a Notice of Intent with the Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority to begin the approval process for the development of a large-scale Synthetic eFuels facility, planned to be constructed around 30 kilometres south of Burnie in Tasmania.
The plant at full-scale is expected to include 144 MW electrolyser capacity to produce hydrogen using renewable energy sources. The produced hydrogen, when combined with CO2 taken from plantation biomass, would produce synthetic methanol, that with further processing would produce (specialised) fuels for various mobility uses.
At full capacity, the facility could be expected to produce up to 100 million litres of carbon neutral eFuels per annum (equivalent to around 260,000 tonnes of avoided CO2 emissions per annum).
In August 2023, HIF Global announced engaging Technip Energies to assess technology options and initiate plant design for HIF’s Tasmanian eFuels production facility. The announcement release also noted that the project is on target to submit a development application in 2024.
In October 2023, HIF Global and petroleum refiner ENEOS announced a co-operation agreement designed to encourage the sale of carbon neutral fuel in Japan. The agreement focuses on the supply of eFuels from HIF’s portfolio of developments in South America, the USA and Australia to ENEOS.
In March 2024, HIF Global announced an agreement between itself and Japanese companies Idemitsu Kosan and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) that outlines how the companies will explore the potential for supplying carbon dioxide from Japan for use as a feedstock for the e-fuels production process in HIF facilities under development in the USA, Australia and Chile: HIF Global will assess demand for carbon dioxide in its eFuels production facilities around the world, Idemitsu will study the capture of carbon dioxide in Japan and MOL will examine the transportation and shipping of carbon dioxide from Japan and eFuels to Japan.
The proponent is targeting construction start in 2025 with operations following in 2028.
Updated: March 2024