Keppel Corp joins green hydrogen, ammonia project in Australia

Keppel Corporation, a Singapore-based company, has joined a consortium to develop a green hydrogen project in Australia and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Incitec Pivot (IPL) for an industrial-scale green ammonia production facility in Queensland, it said on May 26.

The Central Queensland hydrogen (CQ-H2) project consortium, which Keppel has joined, aims to develop a hydrogen production facility and related infrastructure capable of producing renewable hydrogen.

The project's goal is to deliver the hydrogen to Japan and Singapore, as well as supply domestic customers in central Queensland. The consortium includes Stanwell Corporation, Iwatani Corporation, Kansai Electric Power Company, Marubeni Corporation, and Keppel.

The consortium is conducting a front-end engineering design study and the final investment decision is planned for late 2024, with commercial operations targeted to start in 2028.

Keppel said its participation in the consortium provides the company with access to a reliable source of green hydrogen as feedstock for a green ammonia production facility it plans to develop with IPL and other potential partners.

Additionally, Keppel has signed an MoU with IPL to explore the development of a green ammonia production facility in Australia. This facility aims to produce green ammonia for both domestic and overseas consumption.

The MoU includes the development of export supply chains to Singapore and Asia. The green ammonia produced will support the decarbonisation of IPL's domestic manufacturing assets and meet Keppel's zero- or low-emissions power generation needs in Singapore. Excess green ammonia will be sold to customers in Asia, where there is a growing demand for green energy resources, the company said.

The parties involved, including Keppel, IPL, and the Queensland Government, will collaborate closely on infrastructure requirements, licenses, and approvals for the production and export of green ammonia.

Gladstone in Queensland has been identified as one of the clean hydrogen hubs in Australia's National Hydrogen Strategy. The governments of Australia and Singapore have also signed a Green Economy Agreement to promote trade and environmental sustainability, including collaboration on low emissions solutions and hydrogen for maritime use.