Aqua Aerem and Osaka Gas have joined forces to develop what they believe to be the world’s first project that will produce renewable hydrogen for domestic and export markets using only off-grid renewable energy and its own atmospheric water source.
Dubbed Desert Bloom Hydrogen, the $10.75bn 10GW site will be located in the North Territory, Australia, and, once at full scale, will produce ~410,000 metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually with the help of a series of modular 2MW hydrogen production units.
The development is set to majorly boost both Australia’s hydrogen ambitions, as well as the country’s economy – an aspect of the project that has been widely welcomed by Michael Gunner, Chief Minister of the Northern Territory.
Speaking on the plans, Gunner said, “The project, which features pioneering technology to capture water from the atmosphere in arid environments, has been awarded major project status by the Northern Territory Government.
“Today’s announcement is great news for the Northern Territory, for Australia and for Japan, as we strive to reach our shared destination of net-zero emissions by 2050. The major project is also providing a big boost to our economy, with around 1,000 jobs to be creating during construction and a further 120 once it is operational.”
Under the project plans, the duo said they will collaborate on project management, engineering and technical support, customer identification and hydrogen sales, as well as identifying, evaluating and negotiating with equipment manufacturers.
Gerard Reiter, CEO of Aqua Aerem, said, “We are pleased to be collaborating with Osaka Gas on the further development of Desert Bloom Hydrogen, which is the most advanced, shovel-ready green hydrogen project in Australia.
“This deal is a strong endorsement of the massive value of the project and Aqua Aerem’s innovative air-to-water technology, which is opening the door for green hydrogen projects to be located where the best renewable power sources are available, which is generally in the driest areas of the planet.”
