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36 min ago 2 min read
A 650,000-tonne blue ammonia project in Western Australia has been awarded Federal Major Project Status (MPS), granting it expedited access to regulatory approvals.
The WAH2 project, led by developer NH3 Clean Energy, plans to produce blue hydrogen-based ammonia to supply Asia-Pacific countries, such as Japan and South Korea, for maritime fuels.
With plans to reach final investment decision by the end of this year, NH3 said the MPS supports the project’s pathway to begin production by the end of 2029.
The status will last for three years and give the project access to the federal government’s Major Projects Facilitation Agency, which coordinates with state governments to seed up approvals.
Status is awarded to projects with capital investments over AUD $50m that face “complex regulatory challenges.”
Minister for Industry and Innovation Tim Ayres, said the project had the potential to support Australia’s long-term energy and decarbonisation goals.
Other projects covered by the scheme include critical minerals and solar PV developments.
NH3 recently awarded a contract to lead the project’s engineering, procurement, and construction work, which could see the industrial gas construction firm build, own, and operate the project’s hydrogen and nitrogen elements.
If brought online, the plant could export ammonia through the Port of Dampier, under an early-stage agreement with Pilbara Ports.
The company is also working with Australian Gas Infrastructure Group to develop and fund a carbon dioxide emissions pipeline to connect CO2 captured from the plant to third-party sequestration projects.
To date, no offtakes have been announced.
Countries like Japan and South Korea are betting on clean hydrogen derivatives like ammonia to fuel future shipping fleets to decarbonise. Those countries are also planning to co-fire ammonia in existing coal power plants.
