The first shipment of liquified hydrogen in the world is being sent from Australia to Japan.
The A$500 million Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) pilot project has reached a significant milestone. For the first time ever, liquid hydrogen will be extracted, liquefied, and transported to an international market by sea. From Victoria’s Port Hastings to Kobe, the super-cooled liquid hydrogen will be transported by the Suiso Frontier. The 116-meter vessel is the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier specifically designed for that purpose.
Top energy and infrastructure companies from Australia and Japan were involved in the HESC project including Kawasaki Heavy Industries, J-Power, Iwatani, Marubeni and AGL. The project was also supported by the governments of Australia, Japan, and Victoria.
Located in the Latrobe Valley, the hydrogen production facility was built by a joint venture between AGL and the consortium. Using brown coal and biomass, the plant produced 99.999% pure hydrogen. Hastings, where it was cooled to -253 degrees, received the hydrogen via truck. Liquefied hydrogen was created by first condensing the gas to a volume less than a thousandth of its initial gaseous volume.
During the next two years, the project partners will conduct research and develop the technical and operational needs of a commercial-scale project. The HESC could produce up to 225,000 metric tons of carbon-neutral liquefied hydrogen if it were to be commercialized. This would result in a yearly reduction of 1.8 million metric tons in global emissions. This is the equivalent of 350,000 gasoline-powered vehicles.
Over A$1.3 billion is being invested in accelerating Australia’s hydrogen industry. Regional Australia’s clean hydrogen industrial hubs will receive A$464 million. The A$150 million Australian Clean Hydrogen Trade Program has also been launched. In order to secure overseas public or private sector investment, the program will support hydrogen supply chain projects with Australian ties. The Japan-Australia Partnership on Decarbonisation through Technology will be used to export clean hydrogen to Japan in the first round of the program.
Since 2011, Austrade has been providing financial assistance to the HESC project. As a result of their efforts, advisors from both Japan and Australia have joined forces to take this project from the research stage all the way to the marketplace. Helping Japanese companies set up shop in Australia is one aspect of this. Assisting with introductions, helping with site selection, and providing information on grants and government support were all responsibilities of Austrade advisers.
