Energy consultancy Xodus has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Unique Metals to deliver a green hydrogen project in Australia.
The Unique HyMetals project integrates hydrogen production for power generation, oxygen generation for laser-cutting machinery and use, as well as providing fuel for on-site mobility including forklift transport.
Unique HyMetals aims to build and operate a fully integrated hydrogen energy ecosystem with 65 tonnes of green hydrogen production, 20,000 megawatt-hours of green hydrogen energy for manufacturing, seven tonnes of green hydrogen for transport and 500 tonnes of pure green oxygen annually.
As part of the MoU, Xodus will collaborate with Unique Metals to design the project and explore the company’s current emissions profile and the potential impact of the proposal.
By installing the project Unique Metals will be able to “rebalance and optimise energy” from rooftop solar and use it to produce hydrogen from electrolysis, which can then be used at times when the solar output is lowest.
The resulting oxygen will be captured and used for manufacturing activities such as laser cutting and oxyacetylene welding.
The first phase of the project entails using the hydrogen produced to power the site and decarbonise it, with all machinery operating in the facility set to replace carbon intensive sources of energy with hydrogen fuel cells, as well as for fuelling forklift transport.
In phase two, there will be sufficient hydrogen produced on site for commercial-scale refuelling infrastructure to become viable, allowing the facility to become part of the state’s network with a refuelling station for hydrogen vehicles.
The initial construction phase is scheduled to start in 2022, with the second phase planned for 2025.
Paul Figliomeni, managing director at Unique Metals, said: “We see this project as a gateway development to help support Australia build its hydrogen industry.
“As the hydrogen industry grows, which we believe it will, it will become increasingly important that we have the capabilities to manufacture hydrogen technologies such as electrolysers.
“In the second objective of the project, our work with Xodus will look at the feasibility of replicating the manufacturing operations, hopefully manufacturing electrolysers, within a Hydrogen Hub in Western Australia.”