An Australian-made, 10kW renewable hydrogen generator has been installed 120km east of Melbourne as part of a pilot project to provide backup to telecommunications towers knocked out by faults.
Manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cells Energy Australia has had one of its 10kW renewable hydrogen generators installed in Neerim North, 120km east of Melbourne, as part of a AUD1.1 million ($740,000) pilot project with Telstra.
The generator is installed with a Telstra mobile tower and equipped with enough renewable hydrogen to provide a capacity of at least 72 hours when the tower is switched off. Energys Australia said it currently sources hydrogen for its generators from an undisclosed location in Victoria.
Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said Victoria’s Gas Substitution Roadmap confirms that renewable hydrogen will play a critical, targeted role in the energy transition by strengthening energy resilience.
Vicki Romanovski, director of Telstra Integrated Network, Facilities and Environment, said the Telstra network and other infrastructure are vulnerable to extreme weather events.
“Renewable hydrogen is an alternative energy option that can help keep our customers connected. The pilot will help us determine its future role in this space,” said Romanovski.
The Telstra hydrogen fuel cell pilot project was manufactured by Energys Australia at their factory in Mulgrave, Victoria and hydrogen fuel cells will also be installed in the communities of Coldstream, Kinglake, Christmas Hills and Chum Creek, which have experienced telecommunications disruptions due to extreme storms.
The pilot was funded through the AUD 6.6 million Renewable Hydrogen Commercialization Pathways Fund.
Energys also received a AUD 1 million Commercialization Pathways Fund to develop the Energys Renewable Hydrogen Production facility which will produce renewable hydrogen via electrolysis for use in the transport sector and for applications requiring an alternative to diesel.
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The facility, which will have an estimated final cost of AUD 3.3 million, is said to be under construction in Melbourne and will consist of a 1 MW electrolyzer with compression and storage, along with delivery facilities for tube trailers, or trucks carrying gaseous hydrogen and transport manpacks, or industrial-quality hydrogen cylinders.
New York-based hydrogen company Plug Power is listed as a supporter of Energy’s Renewable Hydrogen Production Facility. The company is also currently working in Australia with Allied Green Ammonia on a 3GW electrolysis project in the Northern Territory and for the supply of two 5MW proton exchange membrane (PEM). electrolyzer systems for green hydrogen projects in Tasmania.
According to a CSIRO overview of Energys Australia’s production facility, the renewable energy for their electrolyzer will be sourced primarily from the electricity grid during periods of low demand and low prices, to help reduce the cost of hydrogen production and contribute to the stability of the electricity grid.
Work is expected to start in 2024, with key hydrogen components being ordered and discussions with potential customers taking place.
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