THE carbon capture and storage company CO2CRC has delivered the first major component of a hydrogen refining plant to AGL’s Loy Yang brown coal mine in the Latrobe Valley.
The pilot plant being developed at Loy Yang which employs a two-step process to clean-up, purify and separate the synthetic gas (syngas) from the coal gasifier will produce a pure stream of hydrogen with concentrations greater than 99.999 vol per cent.
The plant will be used as part of the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) project – a world first trial to establish the feasibility of supplying clean hydrogen for export from brown coal.
The hydrogen produced will be liquefied and transported to Japan.
Japan’s J-POWER is leading the gasification to hydrogen production components of the project.
CO2CRC has conducted feasibility, FEED (front end engineering and design) studies and EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) for the hydrogen refining part of the project. CO2CRC engaged Melbourne engineering company, GLP Group, for assistance with the EPC.
“CO2CRC is pleased to be part of this project which could bring billions of dollars of international investment to Victoria and Australia, create many jobs and position Australia as a global leader in the supply of clean hydrogen energy,” CEO of CO2CRC David Byers said.
Installation and commissioning of the plant will take place during the first half of 2020.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 17 December 2019
