Japanese energy giant ENEOS builds green hydrogen demonstration plant in Australia

Japanese energy company ENEOS Corporation has opened a medium-sized electrolyzer pilot green hydrogen facility in Brisbane, Queensland. The facility will use innovative technology to produce up to 20 kilograms of green hydrogen a day. It will create 30 new specialist jobs in the process.

Using patented technology and renewable energy to produce liquid hydrogen

ENEOS will use its patented electrolysis technology, Direct MCH®, to produce the hydrogen. The Direct MCH technology uses renewable energy generated by an onsite 250-kilowatt solar system.

ENEOS will produce the hydrogen in the form of methylcyclohexane (MCH). This allows it to be stored and transported as a liquid. The company will refine the liquid back to hydrogen at its facility in Japan.

The demonstration facility is supported by the Japanese Government’s A$24 billion Green Innovation Fund. The Fund aims to help Japan achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

ENEOS intends to apply the insights gained from the pilot facility to develop a larger electrolyzer plant (over 30 times bigger) that is proposed to be ready for commercialisation by 2025.

The total fund for Direct MCH electrosynthesis technology development is about A$180M in total for constructing the medium-sized electrolyzer plant and the large-sized electrolyzer plant by 2030.

ENEOS is investigating other sites in Queensland for future stages of its development.

Australia’s green hydrogen potential

In a news release [PDF, 874 KB], ENEOS described Australia as ‘a country with excellent potential for green hydrogen production. This is due to its favourable climate conditions, including wind and sunlight, and expansive land’.

The company is also building a 204-megawatt solar farm in regional Queensland. The farm’s construction will support 400 jobs.

Australia’s vision is to be a world leader in hydrogen. The country is a co-lead in Mission Innovation, the global body building a clean hydrogen economy. The International Energy Agency and the World Energy Council have both identified Australia as a potential hydrogen production powerhouse.

The Advancing Hydrogen Fund provides A$300 million to support hydrogen-powered projects. Clean energy leaders such as Spain’s Iberdrola, Denmark’s European Energy and France’s ENGIE have invested in major green hydrogen projects here.

How Austrade helped

Austrade will continue to support ENEOS as it increases its clean energy investments in Australia. The agency will also continue to promote Australia as a premier green hydrogen supplier as the world transitions to net zero.

Read more about the clean energy and renewables industry sector in Australia.