KBR wins contract for Australian green hydrogen project

US engineering firm KBR, with Tractebel, has been appointed as the owners engineer for the Yuri project – a proposed renewable hydrogen energy facility in the Pilbara, Western Australia, the company said on November 3.

The project is being co-developed by utility company Engie and ammonia producer Yara Pilbara Fertilisers. Together, they aim to deliver a green hydrogen plant that integrates with Yara’s existing ammonia plant on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

Partially funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the project is one of the world’s first industrial-scale renewable hydrogen operations, KBR said. The project will see the development, construction and operation of the green hydrogen plant, which includes a 10 MW electrolyser powered by 18 MW of solar PV plus a battery energy storage system, all operating in an islanded mode.

During the initial phase of the project, the plant will produce up to 640 metric tons/year of renewable hydrogen, which will provide a zero-carbon feedstock into Yara’s existing ammonia production facility. Production from the Yuri project is scheduled to begin in 2024.