Korean group plans hydrogen export from Queensland

Three of Korea’s largest conglomerate groups have joined together to establish a green hydrogen production supply chain to export more than one million tonnes of green ammonia per annum from Australia to Korea by 2032.

Korea Zinc, Hanwha Impact and SK Gas, and Australian Korea Zinc subsidiary Ark Energy have formed the Hanguk-Hoju (Korea-Australia) Hydrogen (Han-Ho H2) consortium and signed a MoU to develop the supply chain.

Ark Energy CEO Daniel Kim said strategic partnerships will be essential to building a new green ammonia supply chain from Australia to Korea, at a scale which does not currently exist.

Kim said: “Our partners and our parent company are major players in Korea’s hydrogen economy and have a forecast demand for more than two million tonnes of green ammonia per annum from 2030.”

Ark Energy will lead the consortium and leverage its experience building its SunHQ H2 Hub, which is focused on diesel fuel replacement through hydrogen commercial mobility.

Ark Energy will also leverage its renewable energy portfolio including the Collinsville Green Energy Hub south-west of Bowen, which will have a potential generation capacity of up to 3,000MW.

Korea Zinc’s participation in the consortium will be as one of the offtakers and will also contribute to a number of the workstreams in the MoU including ammonia production, storage and associated infrastructure.

The MoU signing in Brisbane was witnessed by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Palaszczuk said: “Today, we welcome the Han-Ho H2 consortium to Queensland to accelerate progress in our renewable hydrogen industry and advance green energy exports to Korea.”

Picture: Ark Energy