Western Australia will soon be home to a cutting-edge hydrogen production facility, after the Australian Government approved $9.41 million in funding for Hazer Group Limited (Hazer) to construct and operate the new facility.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced the funding approval on behalf of the Australian Government, with the new facility set to be located in Munster.
Hazer are seeking to build a $15.8 million 100 tonne per annum facility to demonstrate its proprietary hydrogen production technology which converts biogas from sewage treatment into hydrogen and graphite.
The Hazer Process production technology converts bio-methane to renewable hydrogen and graphite using an iron ore catalyst, creating an alternate hydrogen pathway to the traditional approaches of steam methane reforming and electrolysis.
Hazer will sell the renewable hydrogen for industrial applications and is exploring markets for graphite including carbon black, activated carbon and battery anode applications.
Hazer said it aims to take advantage of waste or low-value biogas streams such as from wastewater treatment plants, landfill sites and other industrial locations to produce higher value hydrogen and graphite.
This technology could help set up Australia as an exporter of hydrogen, and open up new market opportunities from the graphite that is produced as a by-product of the hydrogen production process.
Hydrogen plays an important role in the Australian economy through providing energy storage, services in grid support and resilience, in direct use as a transport fuel, and as a source of low-emission heat and power.
The construction of the facility is scheduled to be completed by December 2020 and begin operations in January 2021.
According to utilitymagazine.com.au
