ATCO's Clean Energy Innovation Hub (CEIH) at its Jandakot Operations Centre in Western Australia has been awarded a grant of $1.5M from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
"Securing this grant is a major accomplishment. We intend to play a leading role in the development of forward-thinking, clean energy solutions and our Clean Energy Innovation Hub is at the very heart of those plans," said ATCO Australia Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer Pat Creaghan. "The project has many exciting elements, but what truly sets it apart is the use of excess renewable energy, which would typically be lost to the system, to produce hydrogen."
The CEIH incorporates the production, storage and use of hydrogen, or clean energy, to help energize a commercial-scale micro grid. With a total cost of approximately $3.3M, the industry-leading project is an extension of ATCO's existing GasSola Residential Hybrid Energy System trial in Western Australia's south west, which integrates solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage with localised household natural gas electricity generation.
ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the ATCO trial could lead to hydrogen being used more widely across Australia.
"Using hydrogen offers significant opportunities as a pathway to provide carbon neutral energy to both cities and regional towns, while leveraging existing infrastructure, reducing the need to implement other forms of renewables," Mr Frischknecht said.
The data gathered through this project will provide technical insights into optimising hydrogen storage and distribution solutions, blending hydrogen with natural gas in the existing system, and how hydrogen could act as a future balancing fuel supporting the electricity grid. The CEIH site allows for household applications to be tested in a living lab' set-up utilising a modular residential home built by ATCO and installed at Jandakot.
The Clean Energy Innovation Hub is expected to be fully operational in 2019 with first results from the micro grid expected to be available later that year. For further information on the Clean Energy Innovation Hub visit www.yourgas.com.au
With approximately 7,000 employees and assets of $22 billion, ATCO is a diversified global corporation delivering service excellence and innovative business solutions in Structures & Logistics (workforce housing, innovative modular facilities, construction, site support services, and logistics and operations management); Electricity (electricity generation, transmission, and distribution); Pipelines & Liquids (natural gas transmission, distribution and infrastructure development, energy storage, and industrial water solutions); and Retail Energy (electricity and natural gas retail sales). More information can be found at www.ATCO.com.
Media Inquiries:
Mark White
Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs
ATCO, Australia
0419 931 024
mark.white@atco.com.au
