Australian-Japanese tie-up eyes green H2 exports to Palau

Japanese trader Sojitz Corp (TYO:2768), Australia’s CS Energy and Nippon Engineering Consultants Co have joined forces in a pilot project to export Australia-produced renewable hydrogen to the Republic of Palau.

The green hydrogen will be used in fuel cells and hydrogen fuel cell vessels in the Pacific Island archipelago, Sojitz said on Thursday. The demo project will be subsidised by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and will be implemented within three years, between fiscal 2021 and 2023.

The hydrogen will be sourced from a new facility in Queensland, to be built by state government-owned CS Energy. The company said separately it will produce and supply the hydrogen from the Kogan Renewable Hydrogen Demonstration Plant, where an electrolyser of 600 kW to 700 kW will run on electricity from a 2-MW solar park to produce 50,000 kg. A 2-MW/2-MWh battery storage system and an up to 50-kW hydrogen fuel cell are also part of the hub.

Sojitz’s role will be to manage the entire project, conduct a field study in Palau and assist with the implementation of equipment. Nippon Engineering Consultants, meanwhile, will explore hydrogen applications and predicted hydrogen demand for the energy market demands in Palau and other Pacific Island countries. The technical services firm will also assess the feasibility of transporting hydrogen via marine networks and hydrogen’s effects on reducing carbon footprint.

Japanese electronics and electrical equipment supplier Brother Industries Ltd will be engaged in the demonstration of fuel cells.

CS Energy previously said that the construction of the Kogan hub will be initiated in 2022, with its start-up scheduled for early 2023.

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