Hydrogen electrolyser key element in achieving renewable energy stability

Minister for Energy and Mining The Hon. Dan Holst van Pelekaan and City of Marion Mayor Kris Hanna joined Australian Gas Network’s Craig de Laine and other guests at Hydrogen Park SA (HyP SA) at Tonsley Innovation District for a view of the new 1.25-megawatt Siemens Proton Exchange Membrane electrolyser. The electrolyser, the largest of its kind in Australia, arrived at HyP SA earlier this month in preparation for the facility becoming operational later this year.

The electrolyser will use renewable sources of electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, with up to 480 kilograms of hydrogen produced daily and stored to provide a renewable energy source for use when other sources such as solar and wind energy are in shorter supply.

As part of the HyP SA demonstration project, a blend of up to 5 percent renewable hydrogen will be delivered via current gas infrastructure with zero impact on supply or cost to 700 properties in the adjacent Mitchell Park area.

By using renewable electricity to extract hydrogen gas from water, the electrolyser will not only reduce the carbon footprint of SA’s gas networks but provide safe delivery of domestic hydrogen consumption, while also presenting a valuable export opportunity.

The $11.4 million Hydrogen Park SA project is being delivered and funded by Adelaide’s own Australian Gas Networks, a part of the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG), with $4.9 million in support from the Government of South Australia’s Renewable Technology Fund.

The Minister anticipates the project will deliver cleaner, more affordable energy to South Australian households and businesses.

The state government’s intended outcome for this project is to blend up to 10 per cent renewable hydrogen into South Australia’s gas networks, with the eventual goal of 100 per cent hydrogen conversion across Australia. Research into the feasibility of this ambitious target is currently being undertaken by the Australian Hydrogen Centre, which launched at Tonsley Innovation District earlier this year.

Other organisations operating in the renewable energy and cleantech sectors at Tonsley Innovation District include Tesla and members of the Tonsley Future Energy Consortium, comprising SAGE Automation, Clean Peak Energy, AZZO , SIMEC Energy Australia and ZEN Energy from the GFG Alliance, and EfficientSee energy consulting. With the support of research from on-site tertiary institutions, these businesses and initiatives are at the forefront of cleantech and renewable energy technologies, making Tonsley the home of energy innovation.