The Northern Territory (NT)-based Provaris Energy, formerly known as Global Energy Ventures, is moving forward with plans to build a 2.8 GW solar farm on the Tiwi Islands as part of large green hydrogen manufacturing plant for export into the Asia-Pacific area.
The hydrogen will be produced by the electrolysis of cleansed sea water and driven by solar PV electricity. About 500 MW of solar power will be placed on the island as part of the first construction, but Provaris claims that if the market for renewable hydrogen grows, that capacity may be increased to 2.8 GW.
The Tiwi H2 Project intends to export 100,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually to the Asia-Pacific area, with an emphasis on China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.
On a 2,640-hectare tract at the northernmost point of Melville Island, the Tiwi H2 Project calls for the construction of a solar precinct. A 30-kilometer 275 kV transmission line will connect it to the Port Melville green hydrogen-generating facility. The facility’s green hydrogen will be compressed and loaded into Provaris’ own fleet of compressed and hydrogen-powered ships.
The project’s construction is anticipated to begin in 2024 and will probably be carried out in phases, enabling hydrogen production and export quantities to rise gradually in step with consumer demand. The first export-focused hydrogen production is anticipated to start in Q1 2027.
