Australian renewable hydrogen project developer Countrywide Hydrogen, with its parent company ReNu Energy, has selected the site at Wesley Vale for its proposed Devonport green hydrogen production facility.
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The proposed Devonport facility aims to provide an end-to-end green hydrogen solution for emissions reduction across Tasmania.
The site is in an optimal location with close proximity to TasNetworks substations for grid connection and transport hubs offering various offtake opportunities, and the 12-month option attached to the site allows the company time to complete the development approval process under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme.
Securing an option over the site represents a further milestone in the development of Countrywide’s flagship Tasmanian Hydrogen HyWay project, as it continues to work towards a final investment decision, now expected during the first half of 2024.
The site is planned to form one of the initial locations of the flagship Tasmanian Hydrogen HyWay project and provide hydrogen fuelling from north to south of Tasmania, with a Launceston facility planned to follow within 12-24 months of commissioning the Wesley Vale, and the imminent Brighton facilities.
Countrywide managing director Geoff Drucker said, “Our Hydrogen HyWay program leads the way nationally with its aim to produce green hydrogen and deliver a statewide network of refuelling stations to meet the needs of offtakers, which also means Tasmania is showing the way for the rest of Australia to reduce the offensive impact of emissions from road transport.”
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The 0.67ha Devonport site is in an optimal location due to its close proximity to the two ports of Burnie and Devonport, the rail network and an existing freight quarantine facility. The site provides sufficient scale for the proposed initial project parameters with additional onsite space for potential future expansion. The Wesley Vale substation is within 500m of the proposed hydrogen production facility with an underground transmission connection proposed.
