A German green hydrogen technology business that has built 10GW of electrolyser capacity worldwide is establishing a presence in Perth to capitalize on Australia’s burgeoning renewable hydrogen industry.
Thyssenkrupp Nucera is an expert in the chlor-alkali process, or electrolysis utilizing salt water, with sodium hydroxide and chlorine as byproducts, having completed hundreds of projects and manufactured 240,000 electrolytic cell elements.
The company claims that its choice to establish itself in the capital of Western Australia is the result of a “rational business decision” based on the state’s vast renewable energy potential and well-established export sectors for minerals and energy.
Western Australia is the focal point of some of the country’s largest projected green energy projects, notably those of iron ore tycoon Andrew Forrest, whose Fortescue Future Industries is pursuing plans for 5.4GW of wind and solar in the Pilbara.
Western Australia’s combination of world-class renewable energy resources, vast land mass, established energy infrastructure, and a history of exporting energy to international markets gives it a strong competitive advantage in the expanding global renewable hydrogen market, according to Johann Rinnhofer, managing director of thyssenkrupp nucera Australia.
“This new emphasis on the hydrogen sphere of Australia with a base in Perth was a reasonable commercial decision after many years of working successfully with our Australian clients.”
According to the company, the Perth facility will offer comprehensive sales and project execution skills to help companies move to carbon-free industry, not only in Washington, but across the nation.
And demand should be substantial. A recent analysis by Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicted the deployment of over 155MW of electrolysers in Australia in 2022, including 75MW by Hydrogen Utility (H2U) and 80MW by Forrest’s FFI.
BNEF also puts Australia sixth in the world in terms of government support for “low carbon” hydrogen technology, and places it highly in terms of the number of projects scheduled to begin in the next years.
“With an abundance of space, coastline, and the world’s premier solar and wind resources, Australia is best positioned for future renewable energy exports,” says thyssenkrupp nucera. “In the same way that it has delivered fossil-based energy for decades, Australia is well-positioned for future renewable energy exports.”
“Its renewable energy output potential is significantly more than its overall primary energy usage at now.
According to assessments, less than 5% of Australia’s renewable energy potential converted to hydrogen would be adequate to meet Germany’s primary energy demand.
