Australia greenlights 50‑MW Hunter Valley hydrogen hub

The project would be its first project under its Hydrogen Headstart programme.

Australia has secured its largest green hydrogen project to date, with the 50-megawatt Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub in Newcastle, New South Wales, reaching final investment decision and moving into execution.

It marks the first project under Australia's Hydrogen Headstart programme to advance from development to construction.

The hub, developed by mining and infrastructure company Orica, sits on Kooragang Island beside Orica's existing ammonia manufacturing facility.

It will use renewable electricity to produce hydrogen via electrolysis, progressively replacing natural gas in the production of low-carbon ammonia and ammonium nitrate.

At full capacity, the project is expected to produce approximately 4,700 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year, cutting about 7.5% of Orica's natural gas consumption at Kooragang Island — equivalent to removing roughly 26,500 cars from Australian roads annually.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) backed the project with AU$432m in production credits through the Hydrogen Headstart program.

Plug Power will supply its GenEco PEM electrolysers for the project, adding to an existing Australian footprint that includes an operating electrolyser in Townsville and a project in Chinchilla, Queensland.