Tiwi Islands green hydrogen project set for environmental studies

Provaris Energy’s plans to construct a 100,000 tonne a year green hydrogen export project on the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory are advancing with design concept completed and environmental approvals now scoped out by the NT EPA.

The company’s Tiwi H2 project includes a solar PV farm, HV transmission cable, hydrogen electrolyser, and hydrogen compression and export facility.

Exports would be via Provaris’s planned proprietary H2Neo carrier vessels with a capacity of 26,000 cubic metres.

Timed to deliver first green hydrogen to South East Asia in 2027, the project will require an environment impact statement, with the terms of reference for the statement to be issued by the  EPA.

Provaris CEO Garry Triglavcanin told investors: “Provaris is confident that the project will be developed using highest global standards to minimise the potential impacts identified by the EPA.

“…The project will continue to be developed to demonstrate Tiwi H2 and compressed H2 as a safe, sustainable and efficient supply chain for exporting green hydrogen in a way that minimises environmental and social impacts.”

The design concept study for the project was completed in August, estimating a capital cost for the project of up to US$5.2 billion.

The study found gas compression would require 1.0 kWh per kg, which represents a 2.0 percent loss in hydrogen for export.

Provaris plans to appoint lead consultants before early 2023 to begin front end engineering design for the project.

Provaris is also part of a MoU with Province Resources and renewables company Total Eren to study the feasibility of exporting green hydrogen using compressed shipping from their HyEnergy project in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.

Image: Provaris Energy