The Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) Project has achieved another significant milestone. The Hastings site of the Hydrogen Liquefaction and Loading Terminal has been built. It is Australia’s first hydrogen liquefaction facility.
59 engineers, tradespeople and apprentices were directly involved in construction, which took 12 months.
The site represents one of the key elements in the HESC Pilot Project. Hydrogen gas is transported by truck from Latrobe Valley to this Hastings site. The hydrogen gas is liquefied and then loaded on to a specially designed marine carrier for shipment to Japan.
HESC Project partner Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) led the development and construction works in Hastings. It will also operate the terminal, utilising significant experience in the storage and transport of liquefied hydrogen. KHI built the storage tanks used to hold hydrogen rocket fuel at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Tanegashima Space Centre. This technology has been in use for more than 25 years.
The commissioning process will commence, and it is expected operations will start in late 2020.