Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Project

August 15th, 2024

Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Project

The project, located near Kalbarri in the mid-west region of Western Australia, is for a combined large-scale wind and solar energy development to produce renewables-based hydrogen which would be converted into ammonia, mainly for export purposes.

Main proponents:

Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Pty Ltd (parent company being Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners) as trustees for the Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Project Trust

 Main end-use classification:

Industrial process – ammonia production, export focussed

 Status:

Under development

 Estimated cost:

 
Other involvement:

 

 Production details:

Project total electrolyser capacity is anticipated at around 3 gigawatts (GW)

 Location:

Western Australia, Australia

 Announced funding:

 

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.)

The project would use combined onshore wind and solar energy of approximately 6 GW capacity to produce renewables-based hydrogen which would be converted to an estimated 2 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of ammonia, mainly for export to emerging green energy markets (with potential for domestic offtake as hydrogen or ammonia).

The project would be located approximately 20 kilometres north of Kalbarri in Western Australia’s mid-west region.

The project includes several key onshore and marine components, including (for further information refer here and here):

  • Wind farm deployment with installation of approximately 550 wind turbines
  • Solar PV Farm deployment within a footprint of up to 10,000 hectares
  • A 3 GW hydrogen electrolyser capacity system (which is expected to use up to approximately 6 Gigalitres per annum of demineralised water from a new-build desalination plant).
  • Hydrogen storage consisting of up to 200 storage vessels, each with a capacity of 680 tonnes.
  • Ammonia production plant with up to 2 Mtpa capacity.
  • Cryogenic ammonia export pipeline of approximately 1.4 kilometres subsea length.
  • Marine export facility, including export vessel mooring and product transfer infrastructure, located in water depth of approximately 20-25 metres, around 1.4 kilometres from shore.

The key Power-to-X (PtX) facilities – electrolysers, ammonia production plant, and associated facilities – would be located around 1 kilometre from the coast.

The project approvals process began in the first half of 2022 with a Referral of proposal submitted to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).  The EPA referral confirmed that a Public Environmental Review level of assessment is required for the project. The project indicates that this documentation is planned to be submitted to the Western Australian EPA for environmental assessment in late 2024.

Subject to all relevant approvals being in place, the project website indicates a potential developmental timeline along the following lines:

  • Front-end engineering design (FEED) studies in 2025.
  • Phase one final investment decision (FID) and construction in 2026.
  • Phase one hydrogen production and phase two FID in 2029.
  • Full scale hydrogen production in 2031.

The project reports that a Town Planning Scheme Amendment is proposed to ensure the site is zoned appropriately for the project’s operations.

(Note: in the December 2023 ARENA announcement of the six applicants that have been shortlisted and invited to submit a full application in the next stage of the AUD$2 billion Hydrogen Headstart Program, the Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Project reference noted an electrolyser size of 1,625 MW.)

In December 2021, the Western Australian Government announced the project would receive Lead Agency Services from the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

In March 2024, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the LOTTE Chemical Corporation, intended to support collaboration on clean ammonia projects. As part of the agreement, the two companies agree to discuss and finalise agreements for the supply, purchase, and sale of blue ammonia to LOTTE from CIP’s St. Charles Project in Louisiana, U.S., and green ammonia from CIP’s Murchison Project in Australia.

In April 2024, the project was granted Major Project Status by the Australian Government (expiry April 2027) with such projects receiving assistance from the Major Projects Facilitation Agency in navigating their major Australian Government approvals.

 

Updated (based on accessed publicly available information): August 2024