The Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) has reached a financial close on its Hydrogen Park Murray Valley development.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has committed $36.1 million to AGIG for the 10 MW electrolyser deployment in Wodonga, Victoria.
The project builds on ARENA’s existing work in renewable hydrogen and strong track record of delivering transformative projects in the energy transition in pursuit of net zero.
The Hydrogen Park Murray Valley project will produce renewable hydrogen to initially be blended into the local natural gas distribution network, owned by Australian Gas Networks, part of AGIG.
The facility will be located next to North East Water’s Wodonga Wastewater Treatment Plant. Once complete, the project will be the largest renewable hydrogen facility on the east coast and equal largest in Australia.
The renewable hydrogen produced will displace natural gas supplied to local customers and industry at blends of up to 10 per cent, reducing carbon emissions with no change to amenity for gas users.
AGIG CEO Craig de Laine said the company is proud to work with both the Australian and Victorian Governments on this landmark project.
“The strong support received from both the Australian and Victorian Governments demonstrates the importance of renewable hydrogen to decarbonising energy across Australia. We thank all our project partners and key stakeholders, including the Albury-Wodonga community for their contribution to the project to date,” he said.
Hydrogen Park Murray Valley is the second 10 MW project supported by ARENA to reach financial close after the first, Engie’s Project Yuri in the Pilbara, achieved the milestone in September 2021. Both were funded as part of a $103 million competitive funding round for commercial scale hydrogen electrolyser projects.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the project is paving the way for renewable hydrogen in Australia.
“It’s essential to scaling up Australia’s renewable hydrogen industry that we get these first-generation projects up and running,” he said.
“Producing renewable hydrogen on this scale has never been done in Australia. The lessons we learn here will help inform our hydrogen industry as it grows from its early stages to a pillar of the net zero economy.”
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