The South Australian (SA) government announced that organisations from all over the world have submitted a total of 29 formal proposals to construct a green hydrogen power plant at Whyalla on the east coast of the Eyre Peninsula.
The project is expected to cost $593 million (USD 399.3 million) in public funding, according to the SA government.
A 250 MW green hydrogen production facility, a 200 MW hydrogen power plant, and related storage infrastructure with a 3,600 tonne hydrogen storage capacity will make up the Whyalla hydrogen project.
In order to establish the plant, Hydrogen Power said it initially received roughly 60 expressions of interest last year. As of last week, 29 official offers had been submitted as part of a tender.
The government process is centred on the procurement, development, and maintenance of the hydrogen plant and associated machinery, as well as offtake agreements for the green hydrogen generated at the facility. The Whyalla facility will try to make use of already-built infrastructure, such as a deep-water port.
The green hydrogen power plant is expected to be operational by December 2025. Hydrogen Power will now evaluate the submitted proposals and anticipates notifying the winning party by the end of July.
For the power plant and related green hydrogen production and storage facilities, the government claimed to have already acquired land possibilities close to Whyalla. The locations are adjacent to vital transportation and infrastructure within a 15-kilometer radius northeast of the city.