Black & Veatch has joined the Australian Hydrogen Council (AHC) to accelerate the global transition to zero-emission energy and the establishment of a global hydrogen energy industry.
Dr. Fiona Simon, CEO of the AHC, stated that one of the AHC’s assets was the breadth and depth of its membership, which included multinational corporations such as Black & Veatch.
“As a leading advocate in countries across the globe of decarbonisation through transitioning to hydrogen, Black & Veatch brings further knowledge and experience to our membership and we are delighted to have it onboard,” Dr Simon said.
“Hydrogen and ammonia will be critical factors in decarbonizing the world’s energy systems, supply chains and heavy industries. Robust collaboration between engineering leaders, such as Black & Veatch, and industry organizations, such as the Australian Hydrogen Council, will help realize Australia’s ambitions to supply green ammonia to the Asian and domestic markets,” said Mick Scrivens, Vice President, Director, Australia Pacific, Black & Veatch.
Hydrogen has the potential to reduce and replace the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation, long-term energy storage, heating, transportation, the creation of environmentally friendly chemicals, and fertilizer. In addition, hydrogen can be converted into green ammonia, which is created using carbon-free renewable energy in its entirety.
Ammonia, a liquid chemical composed of nitrogen and hydrogen, is more energy dense than pure hydrogen, extremely stable, and easily liquified for global storage and transport in the same manner as LNG.
Multiple energy-intensive sectors can then employ ammonia to generate low-carbon electricity. It can also serve as an energy storage medium, be directly burned as a carbon-free, emission-free energy source, or be “cracked” to turn it back into hydrogen for use as an energy carrier.
Converting the world’s massive LNG infrastructure, including LNG receiving ports and storage facilities, will permit safe and efficient ammonia transport.
According to Black & Veatch’s 2022 Asia Electric Report, 73 percent of respondents anticipate that hydrogen will contribute more than any other technology to meeting carbon emissions goals beyond ten years.
By 2035, industry analysts expect that Australia will account for more than ten percent of the world’s carbon-free ammonia supply.
“Black & Veatch has an 80-year history working with hydrogen and ammonia production in multiple industries. With expertise in all stages of hydrogen infrastructure projects – from technical advisory services and design through operations – we continue to support global decarbonization programs, including those in Australia,” said Scrivens.
Members of the AHC include car manufacturers, energy businesses, infrastructure providers, research organizations, and governments. The AHC is the main group for the hydrogen industry in Australia.
