Portland Renewable Fuels

April 3rd, 2024

Portland Renewable Fuels

The project is a large-scale hybrid bio/e-methanol development to be located in the Portland area of Victoria targeting maritime applications.

Main proponents:

HAMR Energy

 Main end-use classification:

Methanol production

 Status:

Under development

 Estimated cost:

 
Other involvement:

 

 Production details:

30,000 tonnes per annum of hydrogen generation under evaluation (consistent with electrolyser capacity of around 220 megawatts)

 Location:

Victoria, Australia

 Announced funding:

AUD$500,000 – Victorian Government Portland Diversification Fund – feasibility study support

Project description

The project is a large-scale hybrid bio/e-methanol development to be located in the Portland area of Victoria.  The hybrid development would include:

  • Over 500,000 tonnes of underutilised or damaged residual forestry biomass as feedstock, with
  • Approximately 30,000 tonnes of hydrogen generation per annum from renewable energy sources (National Electricity Market connected, predominantly wind expectation)

The methanol synthesis plant is expected to produce around 300,000 tonnes of ‘green’ methanol.

The main offtake option is presently foreseen as being in the mobility – maritime sector.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Port of Melbourne, Maersk, ANL (a subsidiary of CMA-CGM), Svitzer, Stolthaven Terminals, HAMR Energy and ABEL Energy to explore the commercial feasibility of establishing a green methanol bunkering hub at the Port of Melbourne. The collaboration will examine the potential transportation of green methanol from production sites in Bell Bay, Tasmania (ABEL Energy) and Portland, Victoria (HAMR Energy) to the Port of Melbourne for storage and bunkering services.

In September 2023, the Victoria Government announced the award of AUD$500,000 to Portland H2 – a subsidiary of HAMR Energy – to support a feasibility study investigating the establishment of a plant converting plantation forestry residue to green methanol at the Portland site. The study includes preliminary engineering and planning for the plant that would also include a +200-megawatt electrolyser to produce renewables-based hydrogen.

This description has been reviewed by the project proponent.

 

Updated April 2024