Line Hydrogen announced its cooperation with Victoria-based Climate Capital on Saturday, claiming it will get its power from Climate Capital’s proposed 5MW ground-mounted solar farm in George Town, which is just north of Launceston.
While both the solar farm and the hydrogen plant are still in the planning phases, Line Hydrogen intends to begin ground on the project by the middle of the year, with initial production scheduled for January 31, 2023.
The $100 million project aims to create 1,500 kg of green hydrogen each day, with an offtake targeted at the heavy haulage and mining industries.
Brendan James, the founder, and chairman of Line Hydrogen believes that 84 million liters of diesel are consumed daily in Australia, with the firm stating that converting diesel-reliant sectors will be its major market emphasis.
Line Hydrogen informed The Australian over the weekend that it aims to list on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) this year and is also proposing a project twice the size of the Bell Bay facility for Toowoomba in southern Queensland.
It plans to open the $200 million Toowoomba facility in March 2024, with a daily output capacity of 3,000 kg of green hydrogen. It claimed to have been working on this project for the past two years, dating back to the company’s inception.
The two have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to “identify, construct, and deliver co-located green hydrogen production facilities across the country,” in addition to the terms sheet agreement for the Bell Bay solar power offtake. There are currently no specifics on what this means or whether Climate Capital will be a partner on the Toowoomba project.
In addition to Bell Bay, Victoria’s Climate Capital owns two solar farms in Australia: the Boonanaring Solar Farm in Western Australia, which is fully operational, and the Tregalana Solar Farm in South Australia, stage one of which is now under construction.
The $8 million Bell Bay solar farm has received development clearance for its site and is anticipated to be finished this year, just in time for the hydrogen plant’s opening.
Bell Bay, being Tasmania’s principal port, has been suggested for a number of hydrogen projects by some of Australia’s top businesses in the previous year. Fortescue Future Industries, Woodside Energy, and Origin Energy have all said that they will be looking at the possibility of establishing green hydrogen plants in the area.
