Council, consortium to explore green hydrogen production
Date published: 26 May 2021
Townsville City Council will work with a local consortium to explore the production of green hydrogen at one of the city’s wastewater treatment plants.
Council has today agreed to establish a licence agreement with Townsville Hydrogen, a local joint venture which will be created to investigate the feasibility of hydrogen production in the region, on land at the Mount St John Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The agreement will allow Townsville Hydrogen to begin a feasibility study on co-locating on the site of the treatment plant and producing green hydrogen using wastewater. A tender was released to the market last month seeking proposals for leasing Council land from parties interested in the production of hydrogen.
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the initial licence agreement would allow both Council and the proponents to confidently come to an arrangement for a longer-term lease with the aim of ensuring the preferred tenderer can fund, deliver, own and operate the facility for its life.
“Townsville is uniquely positioned to produce green hydrogen that can be exported domestically and internationally and we’re exploring options that will kickstart the industry,” Cr Hill said.
“The next stage of this proposal is exploring what is possible on the site, including the financial feasibility of any commitments and a full understanding of the impacts of the project.
“From there, if everything stacks up on our end and for the proponents, we can look at long-term lease arrangements on the land.
“This comes down to Council exploring ways for the city to transition into new industries and creating jobs in renewable energy for our community.”
Cr Hill said the initial agreement with Hydrogen Townsville aligned with Council’s goal of transitioning to a new energy economy.
“The co-location with the Mount St John Wastewater Treatment Plant is a crucial link for reuse and recycling of wastewater to produce green hydrogen,” she said.
“There is also the possibility to install solar panels on the site to power the proposed facility and the Treatment Plant.
“Council has committed to new energy and we are serious about exploring options such as the co-location of industries to begin this process.
“This includes the progression of the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct and the project partners such as Edify Energy and Imperium 3 that are expected to be located there.”
