Green Hydrogen to Help Meet a Quarter of Western Australia’s Power Demands

In a first for renewable energy in Australia, Hydrogen that is made from renewable energy will be employed to aid the town of Western Australia with its power needs.

The hydrogen that is generated will help produce energy for a hundred homes in Denham. Once into operation, it is being said that this switch to renewable could reduce the use of diesel in the town by 140,000 litres annually. This innovation comes at an important juncture, given that the cost of fuel is skyhigh and Australia is dependent of imports for power needs.

The pilot project has been introduced by Horizon Power-  a state-owned regional electricity utility in WA. The project will transform electricity from a solar plant in order to generate green hydrogen in Denham. It will cover an expanse of 820 kilometres north of Perth. Further, the hydrogen will be employed to provide power to a fuel cell that has the potential to produce ample electricity for a hundred homes- or, help meet a quarter of the power demands of Western Australia.

A “Breakthrough” Initiative

The Energy Minister of Western Australia, Bill Johnston termed the pilot trial a breakthrough for the employment of hydrogen as fuel that could be a substitute for renewable energy in weather conditions that are not conducive, such as when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining. He further called this storage the “Holy Grail” to renewable energy.

The Minister said, “It’s the first time in the world we’ve used hydrogen in a micro-grid. And this is the future of energy because it allows the storage of renewable energy over a long period of time to move to … what’s called 100 per cent firm renewable.”

The Bone of the Contention 

While Minister vouch for the use of hydrogen to cut down on imports in the town and aid with its power needs, the initiative has led to a series of contentions.

To begin with, there are efforts aiming at producing hydrogen without emissions. At the same time, there are doubts over the viability of green hydrogen as a fuel, given the high costs of production associated with it.

Stephanie Unwin, Chief Executive at Horizon, however, invests all her faith in the pilot project arguing that the cost of production can slide to make hydrogen more affordable as against with fossil fuels.

Only time can answer the questions that have the leaders divided.