Denham Hydrogen Demonstration Plant
Australia’s first renewable hydrogen plant powering a remote microgrid has been delivered in Denham, Western Australia.
Initiative progress
In Progress
A microgrid is a small subset of the electricity grid that makes and stores energy close by. It can use renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines as well as battery energy storage. This hydrogen demonstration plant uses renewable hydrogen to offset power generated by diesel.
The first-of-its-kind project integrates the use of hydrogen produced from renewable energy, into a microgrid powered by solar, wind, battery and diesel. This will test if hydrogen can be used as a reliable power source in remote microgrids to reduce diesel consumption and emissions.
With a landmass of 2.5 million square kilometres and an abundance of sun and wind, WA stands as the perfect place for building renewable energy facilities needed to generate hydrogen.
The lessons learnt from this project will inform future opportunities to implement hydrogen technology in other regional communities.
Key Stats
Hydrogen produced from renewables is a low-density gas that can be used to generate clean electricity while emitting only water, making it a clean energy source.
Timeline and Milestones
May 2021 – Ground break on Australia’s first remote renewable hydrogen microgrid in Denham.
October 2021 – Demonstration farm construction commences.
August 2022 – Hydrogen microgrid construction completed.
September 2022 – Pre-commissioning completed.
April 2023 – Commissioning completed.
February 2024 – Operational handover and reliability run activities to commence.
How does the demonstration plant work?
The process begins with the electrolysis of water, where electricity generated from the dedicated solar farm is used to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen gas.
The resulting hydrogen gas is then pressurised and stored.
To generate electricity, the hydrogen gas is directed through a fuel cell and mixed with oxygen from the air. The reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel cell produces electricity and water vapour.
The plant includes a 704 kilowatt solar farm, 348 kilowatt hydrogen electrolyser, hydrogen compressor, 13,300 litres of bottle storage, and a 100 kilowatt fuel cell, providing an innovative alternative to diesel generators.
When solar generation is not available, the plant will utilise the stored hydrogen through the fuel cell to produce electricity, ensuring a constant and reliable renewable power supply to supplement the diesel and wind generation in Denham.
What does this mean for remote communities?
Using hydrogen in remote communities can support energy independence, create new skilled job opportunities, reduce diesel consumption and help cut down carbon emissions.
The benefits from the Denham hydrogen demonstration plant include:
Increased generation of renewable energy for the town’s energy supply and reduced carbon emissions.
A boost to local businesses for goods and services throughout the duration of the project.
Learnings that will inform future possibilities of implementing hydrogen technology in other regional communities.
This project is supported through the Renewable Hydrogen Fund as part of the Renewable Hydrogen Strategy and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s Advancing Renewables Program.
To learn more about the project and renewable hydrogen, visit:
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