Posted on May 20, 2021
May 17 (Renewables Now) – Verdant Earth Technologies Ltd has signed a term sheet to explore a potential green hydrogen partnership with Darwin Port Operations in New South Wales, Australia.
Darwin Port Operations, part of the China-based Landbridge Group, runs commercial wharf facilities at East Arm Wharf and the cruise ship terminal at Fort Hill Wharf. Darwin was chosen by the federal government as one of four regional centres to share in more than AUD 275 millionallocated for the creation of clean hydrogen hubs.
“A strategic alliance with Darwin Port would pave the way for the establishment of a green hydrogen hub at Australia’s nearest port to Asia and the country’s ‘northern gateway’ for Australasian trade,” said Verdant CEO Richard Poole.
Darwin is also the home of the proposed Australia-ASEAN Power Link, which will source and store solar power from the Northern Territory of Australia. It will distribute that electricity to Darwin and also export it to Singapore via a high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system. The power link will be capable of supplying up to 20% of Singapore’s total electricity needs. Supply is expected to start in 2027.
Verdant itself wants to set up 10 sustainable hydrogen production facilities across Australia that source electricity from wind and solar parks. The company hopes to begin hydrogen production in late 2022 or early 2023 at an initial rate of 6 tonnes per day. A significant scale-up would then follow in 2024.
Verdant is the owner of the 151-MW namesake power station in the same state that is being repurposed to run solely on waste biomass with net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
