ARENA, WA government back green hydrogen demonstrator project in Denham

Construction will begin by August on Australia’s first remote microgrid using renewable-generated hydrogen, producing 526 MWh of dispatchable renewable electricity, enough for 100 residential homes.

The demonstrator plant will be built in Denham, Western Australia — on the state’s coast and 830 kilometres north of Perth — and be connected to Denham’s hybrid power station. According to a statement from Australian Renewable Energy Agency, it will include a 348 kW hydrogen electrolyser and accompanying compression and storage, plus 100 kW fuel cell, “alongside 704 kW of solar that will power the electrolyser to produce hydrogen for storage.” 

The Horizon Power project is receiving $2.6 million in support from ARENA, and $5.7 million from the WA government’s Recovery Plan.

“This plant will demonstrate how hydrogen can reliably produce power for our towns currently dependent on diesel fuel power systems and allow us to transition our network away from higher emission generating sources and meet our target of no new diesel generation systems from 2025,” said Horizon Power’s CEO Stephanie Unwin

 “This technology has the potential to be an environmental game changer for many remote towns in Western Australia and other similar locations around Australia, and allow greater uptake of reliable cleaner, greener renewable energy sources in the future.”

Picture: Horizon Power

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