Yarra Valley Water launches green hydrogen pilot in Victoria

State-owned utility Yarra Valley Water has launched a pilot project to test technology that would enable renewable hydrogen energy to be produced at its Aurora treatment plant in the Australian state of Victoria, it said on September 27.

The Victorian government has awarded A$11.9mn ($7.7mn) in funding from the second round of the Energy Innovation Fund to build a permanent renewable hydrogen facility at Aurora Hydro-Gen 1 if the pilot is successful.

Trials will test a Victorian-made electrolyser to validate its performance before developing a Victorian government-funded larger-scale facility.

Yarra Valley Water’s managing director Pat McCafferty said the trials at Aurora treatment plant would test the feasibility of developing a commercially viable green renewable hydrogen facility at the plant in Melbourne’s north.

“The water industry is significantly impacted by climate change and we’re committed to doing what we can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as part of our climate resilience planning. Australia's goal is to be a major supplier of clean hydrogen by 2030 and the water industry has a critical role in providing a commercially viable renewable hydrogen future,” McCafferty said.

The project will be delivered through collaboration with gas infrastructure company Australian Gas Infrastructure Group.