Tiwi Islands hydrogen export proposal gets approvals

Global Energy Ventures has received critical regulatory approvals allowing planning for a giant green hydrogen production and export scheme to be constructed on aboriginal land on the Tiwi Islands offshore of Darwin in the Northern Territory.

GEV plans a 2.8 GW solar pv array, a 30km electricity transmission line and a green hydrogen and production facility at Port Melville on the northern tip of Melville Island, the larger of the two Tiwi Islands.

GEV has received continuing support from the Munupi landowners and the Tiwi Plantation Corporation with several permissions granted at a recent meeting allowing the company’s submission to the EPA to be completed.

Consultants will be allowed on-country for environmental and engineering surveys as part of project pre-feasibility studies.

Permissions were also received to increase the land available for the project with 2,580 hectares now available for solar generation, 120 hectares for transmission and 72 hectares for the production and export facility.

Production and export infrastructure for the Tiwi H2 project will be capable of producing up to 100,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen.

GEV plans an initial development of approximately 0.5 GW of installed solar generation consistent with 15,000 tonnes per annum of hydrogen production and a fleet of 430 tonne compressed hydrogen carriers.

Once fully operational larger capacity 2,000 tonne carriers may be introduced.

Water requirements for the electrolyser will be from desalination of sea water sourced from the Apsley Strait.

The facilities will be transformational for the Tiwi Islands communities which though a disadvantaged community is well known for its vibrant contemporary art scene and as a source of champion AFL footballers.

Apsley Strait is known historically as the site of the first sighting of the Japanese air task force that attacked Darwin on 19 February, 1942.

Picture: GEV

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