Project Status: Complete
Project Participants: GHD, Hydrogen Energy
Project Leader: Chris Lund (GHD)
Hydrogen Energy (a joint venture of BP Alternative Energy and Rio Tinto) carried out preliminary assessment on a proposal to establish an integrated gasification combined cycle power generation plant in Kwinana that would be fully integrated with carbon capture and storage. Such a plant would provide significant opportunities for establishing new supply chain, by-product, and utility synergies with existing Kwinana industries. This would result in business and sustainability benefits for the companies involved and the Kwinana region as a whole.
A scoping study has been completed to explore and evaluate the regional synergy opportunities emerging from the proposed hydrogen power plant. This project has confirmed the great potential for new synergies (over 20 by-product, utility and supply chain synergy opportunities were identified). As part of the study detailed assessments were conducted to explore short-listed synergy opportunities. The study provided the basis for Hydrogen Energy to secure critical resources (process and cooling water) and market demand for the project (green steam) and develop regional synergies with the Kwinana industries.
Unfortunately, it became clear that the proposed Hydrogen Energy plant in Kwinana could not go ahead as proposed due to the presence of gas chimneys in the geological underground sink for the carbon dioxide. However, Hydrogen Energy is working towards establishing hydrogen-fired power generation facilities in other parts of the world (e.g. California, Abu Dhabi and elsewhere) and the synergies work carried out for the Kwinana proposal would provide a good starting basis for other proposals.