A A$51m (U$34m) renewable hydrogen plant is scheduled to be built in Victoria State in Australia, following an announcement made by the country’s energy minister, Chris Bowen.

With the proposed site set for Wodonga in Victoria, the facility will have a 10MW electrolyser – the largest to date in Australia – and will be capable of blending green hydrogen into gas networks to provide approximately 40,000 homes with a cleaner form of energy.

The hydrogen plant plans come as Australia looks for alternative ways to reduce its carbon emissions by using alternative forms of power, while also meeting the requirements of its trading partners.

Construction of the new electrolyser is planned for 2024, with a scheduled completion date and full operations beginning in 2025. The Victoria government, the federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation will provide funding for the project, with the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group tasked with delivering the finished facility. The site will be powered using energy from a wind farm.

“It’s essential to scaling up Australia’s renewable hydrogen industry that we get these first-generation projects up and running,” commented Darren Miller, CEO of ARENA.

The recent announcement follows Anthony Albanese, prime minister of the Labor government, revealing a A$2bn “Hydrogen Headstart” program in May 2023 which aims to speed up hydrogen fuel export and production within Australia.