HyEnergy® Project

September 21st, 2024

HyEnergy® Project

The project proponent is progressing the phased development of a proposed large-scale renewables-based hydrogen and ammonia project in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.

Main proponents:

Province Resources Ltd

 Main end-use classification:

Domestic or international export – renewables-based ammonia is the likely end product; export of compressed hydrogen is also being considered

 Status:

Under development

 Estimated cost:

 
Other involvement:

 

 Production details:

0.6 million tonnes of renewables-based hydrogen at full scale

 Location:

Western Australia, Australia

 Announced funding:

AUD$300,000 – Western Australian Government Renewable Hydrogen Fund Round 2 (feasibility study): awarded to Global Energy Ventures Ltd (now Provaris Energy) to evaluate the export of compressed hydrogen from the  HyEnergy® Project

Project description

In January 2024, Province Resources announced that the environmental approval process for the HyEnergy® project had commenced with a referral of the project (and submittal of relevant documentation) to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

The planned development encompasses three key elements:

  • The installation of approximately 12 GW of renewable energy generating infrastructure, including approximately 6.8 GW of wind energy production and approximately 5.2 GW of solar farm energy production.
  • The installation of hydrogen and ammonia production plant and storage facilities, with the renewables-based power to drive the production of up to 0.6 million tonnes of hydrogen via electrolysis, which would be processed to produce up to 3.35 million tonnes of ammonia for export purposes (though export of compressed hydrogen gas is also being considered). Water for the electrolytic production of hydrogen would be sourced from the ocean via desalination plant. The proposal includes facilities for storage of ammonia and hydrogen on site. The production facility would also include a battery energy storage system of up to 4.6 GWh.
  • Development of a multi-user port facility adjacent to the hydrogen and ammonia production facilities by which ammonia (or compressed hydrogen) would be exported. The export product (ammonia and/or compressed hydrogen) would be transported from site via pipeline to the proposed multi-user port facility. The port facility would comprise a material offloading facility as well as an export terminal. Province Resources is also exploring the option of nearshore loading involving a subsea pipeline and an offshore loading buoy.

The area encompassing the proposed development is the Gascoyne region in northwest Western Australia and comprises three distinct areas all located within the shire of Carnarvon. These include:

  • Two renewable energy generation areas which would generate the majority of project power requirements, one located approximately 51 kilometres south of Carnarvon, the other approximately 51 kilometres east.
  • The third area covers amongst other things the hydrogen/ammonia production and storage facilities and export area, located on the coast, approximately 15 kilometres north of the town centre of Carnarvon.

A phased development of the project is planned.

In November 2023, the project proponent announced that the pre-feasibility study for the initial phase of the project had been completed and that the pre-feasibility studies for the full-scale project were nearing completion.

In August 2024, Province Resources noted in a public release that (as of date of release) the State Government has failed to offer tenure for the project on terms which would be acceptable to Province and potential project partners. The project proponent has advised that it is working through the approvals issues in an effort to secure land tenure for the project.

In December 2021, the Western Australian Government announced the project was awarded Lead Agency Status by the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

In September 2021, AUD$300,000 was awarded to GEV (now Provaris Energy) under the Western Australian Government’s Renewable Hydrogen Fund Round 2 to evaluate the technical & commercial feasibility of exporting compressed hydrogen from the HyEnergy® project.

 

Reviewed (reviewed by the project proponent): September 2024