ARENA’s purpose is to improve the competitiveness of renewable energy technologies and increase the supply of renewable energy through innovation that benefits Australian consumers and businesses. By connecting investment, knowledge and people to deliver energy innovation, we are helping to build the foundation of a renewable energy ecosystem in Australia. We provide funding support to help the renewable hydrogen industry overcome barriers to its further development, such as the high cost of producing renewable hydrogen, limited regulatory frameworks for applications such as use in the natural gas network, under-developed end-use markets and insufficient demand to attract investment in projects.
ARENA has supported a number of renewable ammonia initiatives including:
- Yara Pilbara Renewable Ammonia Feasibility Study A feasibility study for a demonstration of renewable ammonia production and export in the Pilbara. The study will evaluate the implications of integrating new renewable hydrogen into Yara’s existing operations.
- Project GERI Feasibility Study The Geraldton Export-Scale Renewable Investment (GERI) Feasibility Study will explore the potential for developing a green Hydrogen and Ammonia production supply chain.
- Queensland Nitrates Feasibility Study for a Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Project A demonstration of renewable hydrogen technologies to produce renewable ammonia at the Queensland Nitrates plant in Moura, Qld.
- Dyno Nobel Expansion of Moranbah – Feasibility of Renewable (‘Green’) Hydrogen A feasibility study of hydrogen technologies to expand the Dyno Nobel Moranbah facility to produce ammonia from renewable hydrogen.
- CSIRO Hydrogen to Ammonia R&D Project The project aims to develop an ammonia production process which is less energy intensive than the conventional HaberBosch process and does not contribute to any greenhouse gas emissions.
- Monash Ammonia production from renewables R&D Project The project will develop high-performing electrodes for direct electrochemical conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia – a readily exportable carrier of renewable energy.
The learning and outputs from these initiatives will be presented.
