China solar giant joins effort to deliver state’s first green hydrogen and ammonia facility

New details have emerged on the solar farm expansion that will help power New South Wales’ first green hydrogen and ammonia production facility, with major global solar giant contracted to supply the new “high performance” panels.

Chinese solar manufacturer Trinasolar said on Wednesday that it has been selected to supply PV modules for the Good Earth Green Hydrogen and Ammonia (GEGHA) project near Moree in New South Wales (NSW), a first of its kind for the coal-heavy state.

The GEGHA project has steadily worked its way through the approvals process after first being proposed back in early 2023 by Australian farming company Sundown Pastoral Company and New Zealand company Hiringa Energy, the creators of Australasia’s first green hydrogen refuelling network.

Financial close for the project was announced in July of last year and an additional $9.4 million in state government funding was confirmed early this year, allowing construction to begin in May.

Located on land owned by Sundown, the GEGHA project will consist of 36 megawatts (MW) of solar generation capacity including the existing 9 MW Wathagar solar farm, which will be expanded with an additional 27 MW and supported by a 41 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS).

The project will also include 15 MW of electrolysis, producing green hydrogen from locally sourced water and the solar farm’s renewable electricity.

A 16 tonne per day ammonia plant will use the green hydrogen and air-captured nitrogen to manufacture ammonia. The project will also include 600 tonnes of ammonia storage capacity and 3 tonnes of hydrogen storage.

China’s Trina will supply its 510 watt (W) and 515 W Vertex S+ modules for the 27 MW expansion of the project’s solar component. The modules incorporate n-type i-TOPCon technology and a heat-strengthened dual-glass design that provides durability, weather resistance, and low degradation.

Construction is already underway on the solar farm’s expansion.

“Projects like GEGHA demonstrate the important role solar plays in enabling emerging industries such as green hydrogen and low-carbon fertiliser production,” said Edison Zhou, head of Australia and New Zealand at Trinasolar.

“By supplying high-performance Vertex S+ modules for the project’s solar farm, Trinasolar is helping provide the renewable energy foundation for green hydrogen and low-carbon ammonia production.”

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