Energy Estate backs CSG water treatment tech with view to green hydrogen future

Busy Australian renewables developer Energy Estate has announced a new collaboration, this time with industrial water treatment outfit Parkway, to support the development of technologies that will, in turn, support sustainable large-scale renewable hydrogen production.

Parkway’s current focus is on providing a technology-based solution to deal with the billions of litres of waste brine produced annually by Central Queensland’s coal-seam gas industry, which contain millions of tonnes of waste salts.

In a “Master Plan” released in June, Parkway proposes using renewable energy to produce industrial chemicals from CSG derived waste brine and salts, to improve local supply chains, including for critical minerals.

Energy Estate says it has this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Parkway to assist with the provision of firmed renewable energy for Parkway’s operations, as well as commercialisation pathways for the production of industrial green chemicals.

Energy Estate’s Simon Currie says his company, whose various projects under development in Queensland include a green hydrogen and ammonia hub in the state’s north, is also interested in how Parkway’s solutions for CSG wastewater could be applied to renewable hydrogen production.

“The production of green hydrogen requires ultrapure water, a process which can produce significant quantities of waste brine, which can be problematic if not managed appropriately,” Currie said in a statement on Monday.

“In some locations where there is insufficient available freshwater, investment in desalination plants may be required to support the growth of a hydrogen industry and the waste brine from the desalination process will also need to be managed.

“We look forward to working with Parkway to explore how adoption of [its] proprietary technologies for processing waste brines can help unlock the hydrogen economy in Queensland and other markets in Australia and globally.”

Energy Estate’s HyNQ (North Queensland Clean Energy Hub) proposes to develop an integrated renewable energy to liquid hydrogen and global scale green ammonia project at Abbot Point, in North Queensland.

The company is also part of the Central Queensland Power (CQP) joint venture with Renewable Energy Systems, which has partnered with state-owned outfit CleanCo to develop a portfolio of projects in Central Queensland.

Just last month, CleanCo took a stake in the 372MW Moah Creek wind farm that CQP is developing west of Rockhampton in central Queensland.

Parkway managing director and CEO Bahay Ozcakmak says his company is working with engineering giant Worley to bring its portfolio of technologies to market, having earlier this year completed a comprehensive feasibility study with “the largest operator in the Queensland CSG industry.”

“Our portfolio of industrial water treatment and process technologies provides us with a unique capability
to utilise innovation and technology, to address … important sustainability objectives,” Ozcakmak said.

“Given the scale of these opportunities, each of waste disposal, renewable energy and green chemicals,
represent multi-billion dollar opportunities, it is important we continue to partner with industry and other
key stakeholders.

“We have been impressed with the progress Energy Estate have been making in bringing industry, investors,
government and other stakeholders together, and look forward to working closely … [to] advance our own project interests,” he said.