Southern Green Hydrogen, a joint venture between Contact Energy and Meridian Energy, revealed today (June 20), Woodside Energy and Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) are set to provide detailed proposals to decide the selection of lead developer for the Southern Green Hydrogen project.

Woodside and FFI were selected from four companies that were initially invited to submit proposals, H2 View understands. Southern Green Hydrogen have said the detailed proposals are due to be received by the end of August 2022, with a decision announced soon after.

The Southern Green Hydrogen project comes off the back of a 2021 report from McKinsey & Co which investigated the use of renewable energy in Southland to produce green hydrogen at scale.

Read more:  Contact Energy, Meridian Energy eye New Zealand for large-scale hydrogen plant development

Mike Fuge, CEO of Contact Energy, said, “The final two counter-parties have the capability, experience and motivation to make this project happen at pace. Importantly they have both mapped realistic pathways for taking this project to commercial operation.”

Neal Barclay, CEO of Meridian Energy, commented, “This is a complex project in a relatively new global market, and both the final counter-parties have given us confidence that an economic project is achievable.

“Both have demonstrated that global markets for green hydrogen and green ammonia are imminent, and both are engaged in discussions with customers about buying the large volumes that the Southland plant will produce.”