The Australian government will provide over AUD 51 million (USD 34.1m/EUR 31.2m) to back the construction of a 10-MW green hydrogen production plant in the state of Victoria.
The package was announced by Energy Minister Chris Bowen on Saturday in support of the country’s efforts to transition away from coal. The Victorian government will provide AUD 12.3 million to the scheme, while some AUD 36.1 million will be sourced from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). An additional financial package will be provided by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).
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The funding will go to energy infrastructure company Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG), ARENA said separately, adding that the scheme has reached financial close.
Known as the Hydrogen Park Murray Valley development, the project calls for the installation of an electrolyser facility at a wastewater plant in the city of Wodonga, to be powered by a local wind farm. The output will initially be blended into gas and supplied to around 40,000 homes and 20 industrial sites. The mix of 10% green fuel will be distributed through AGIG’s existing natural gas pipelines.
With construction works slated to begin this year, the plant is due to be switched on by late 2025.
(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.668/EUR 0.613)