Plans are underway for a groundbreaking $425 million hydrogen project in regional South Australia.
The proposed Riverbend Energy Hub, located in Tailem Bend, aims not only to create economic opportunities with the generation of approximately 300 jobs during construction but also to revolutionize the production of hydrogen by converting landfill into a valuable resource.
The ambitious Riverbend Energy Hub, spearheaded by Adelaide-based Greenhill Energy, envisions converting 200,000 tonnes of landfill into hydrogen annually within five years of operation. The project’s primary goals include job creation, economic growth, and a significant contribution to reducing carbon emissions.
Chief Executive Nicholas Mumford emphasizes that the project’s impact extends beyond construction, with an expected 50 to 100 direct employees during operation, alongside indirect employment avenues. The project, currently in the approval stages, anticipates commencing construction in 2025.
At the heart of the Riverbend Energy Hub lies the innovative gasification process, a technology not yet implemented in Australia. This process involves heating landfill to high temperatures, converting it into gases, and subsequently separating hydrogen from carbon dioxide. While gasification is a proven technology in the United States and Europe, the Riverbend project marks its pioneering introduction to the Australian landscape.
Hydrogen, produced through gasification, is classified under the green hydrogen category, signifying its environmentally friendly production method. Unlike brown hydrogen, created by burning coal, or blue hydrogen, produced with natural gas and emissions capture, green hydrogen from gasification is poised to be a sustainable and low-CO2 emission option.
Adelaide University post-doctorate research fellow Dr. Rachelle Kernen lauds the gasification process as a sustainable and effectively no-CO2 emission option for generating hydrogen power. Dr. Kernen emphasizes the significance of projects like Riverbend, stating that they are imperative for reducing emissions, including CO2 and methane, crucial in the global efforts to combat climate change.
