Hexagon teams up with FRV to add solar to hydrogen and ammonia hubs

Australian clean energy developer Hexagon Energy Materials has teamed up with solar developer FRV Services Australia to explore the development of hydrogen hubs near Darwin, and at other locations across northern Australia.

An MOU signed by the two companies this week the potential development of a hydrogen hub at Middle Arm, near Darwin, as well as a new potential North Western Australian Hydrogen Hub in Western Australia.

The two companies have already collaborated as consortium partners on an AusIndustry grant application in relation to a Middle Arm, and FRV has also secured additional funding for further studies and the construction stage for its hydrogen and renewable energy project.

Hexagon, which is involved in the exploration and development of both clean energy and energy materials projects, is already exploring two gold & base metal sites and is actively developing the Pedirka Blue Hydrogen Project, located approximately 200-kilometres south-east of Alice Springs.

That project will rely on conventional surface gasification and carbon capture and storage, while the MOU with FRV focuses on “green” hydrogen – hydrogen that is produced through electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources.

However, it may be that the involvement of FRV will only be in addition to the “blue hydrogen” planned by Hexagon in the case of Pedirka, and help reduce the amount of CCS that is required to store the Co2 generated from the fossil fuel hydrogen.

According to Hexagon, this would mean that less CO2 is generated from its blue hydrogen production facilities and would require less CCS, “therefore lowering overall production costs for Hexagon’s projects.”

FRV Australia has already developed 9 solar farms across Australia with a combined capacity of 781MW into the National Electricity Market. FRV Australia is also developing additional projects across the Northern Territory, including the 29MW Berrimah Solar Farm which will be paired with an electrolyser.

“We have been assessing all options available to progress our NT (Pedirka) Hydrogen project,” said Merrill Gray, Hexagon managing director.

“This MoU underpins a potentially important step forward for us in realising efficiencies and in improving the commercial viability for our base case decarbonised ammonia production plant.”