HIF selects Technip for planned Tasmanian eFuels plant

Porsche-backed electrofuels company HIF Global is progressing its planned 100 million litre per year facility in north-west Tasmania, with the state government announcing HIF had selected Technip Energies to help assess technology options and initiate plant design.

In a statement on Thursday, Tasmania’s energy minister Guy Barnett claimed the news as “a further sign” the government’s Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan was attracting investment.

Technip is a France-based engineering consultant listed in Paris and specialising in renewable energy. It has an office in Perth.

“Green hydrogen provides a critical enabler in Australia’s energy transition and Tasmania has competitive advantages to offer industry and the world,” said Barnett.

“We have an ambitious plan for growing our economy and creating more jobs through the development of world-class fuels of the future, like the green hydrogen sector. 

Porsche took a stake of approximately 12.5 per cent in HIF, worth about $US $75 million at the time, in April 2022. In July that year it announced selection of a site south of Burnie in Tasmania for a planned 100 million litre-a-year eFuels factory.

According to the Texas-based company its products are derived from renewable-powered electrolysis, which is then blended with carbon dioxide and results in a carbon neutral fuel.

Its website shares an aim to begin construction at the Tasmanian site – which would create an estimated 200 full-time jobs – in 2024, then operations in 2026.  

“At full operations, the HIF Tasmania facility is expected to produce up to 100 million litres per year of carbon neutral eFuels, reducing global CO₂ emissions by approximately 260,000 tons per year, the equivalent of decarbonising 52,000 cars on the road today,” said HIF Asia Pacific CEO Ignacio Hernandez in July last year.

It is currently building the “Haru Oni Demonstration Plant” in the south of Chile, “the world`s first fully integrated off-grid eFuels plant.”

Picture: The Chilean plant (credit Porsche)