Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) Project Partners are pleased to confirm that approval has been granted for a planning scheme amendment to the Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.
This amendment to the Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme allows the use and development of highly-suitable land owned by BlueScope (and to be leased by the project) for a pilot scale hydrogen liquefaction plant and loading terminal at the Port of Hastings.
The approval marks an important step towards the demonstration of a world-first, integrated supply chain for hydrogen between Australia and Japan. The HESC Project has the potential to establish a new export and domestic industry in Australia, built around clean hydrogen and related technologies.
The amendment only relates to the pilot scale project which is likely to operate for approximately one year from 2020.
HESC in brief:
The HESC pilot supply chain includes:
- The conversion of brown coal to hydrogen gas in the Latrobe Valley
- The liquefaction of the gas in the Port of Hastings area
- Storage and loading of the liquefied hydrogen onto a special-purpose built carrier for shipping to Japan.
Read more about the supply chain.
The Hastings hydrogen liquefaction, storage and loading facilities will have an overall site footprint (including the wider study area and bushfire buffer zone) of around 2.5 hectares.
It will be built and operated on an existing, secure industrial port, owned by BlueScope. The site is highly-suitable for the small scale pilot, because it has existing jetty facilities and is accessible using existing road transport routes.
The pilot project will be built and operated under strict environmental regulations. Before the development can commence, a number of detailed plans and reports must satisfy the Minister for Planning to receive the required approvals.
The pilot scale hydrogen liquefaction and loading operations at Hastings do not require any dredging, or any works on water.
HESC will commence construction of the small-scale pilot facilities in 2019 and the pilot phase will operate for approximately one year from 2020.
We encourage interested community members and organisations to subscribe to the HESC e-news.
For further information, visit our online FAQs page or contact us.
Key documents associated with the planning scheme amendment are now available online (via the Victorian State Government Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning).