Under a signed Memorandum of Understanding (Mou), APA Group and Westfarmers Chemicals, Energy and Fertilisers (WesCEF) will investigate the opportunity to produce and transport green hydrogen to WesCEF’s production facilities in Kwinana, Western Australia.

If successful, green hydrogen could facilitate the production of green ammonia and other sustainable chemicals and take a section of APA’s Parmelia Gas Pipeline a step closer to becoming a ‘pure renewable hydrogen service’.

This study follows hydrogen research that APA commenced last year to test the ability of 43km of Parmelia Gas Pipeline to carry up to 100% hydrogen.

Rob Wheals, CEO and Managing Director at APA Group, said, “This study could be a game-changer for the transportation of green hydrogen by supporting Australia’s first potential conversion of a natural gas transmission pipeline to 100% hydrogen-ready.

“Hydrogen won’t be delivered at scale through trucks and trains – we will need large scale interconnected networks which can bring the benefit of resources to our industry hubs, cities and homes.”

The WesCEF production facilities in Kwinana produce and distribute essential products for the agricultural, mining, construction and manufacturing industries and energy for households for cooking, heating, and hot water.

Ian Hansen, Managing Director at WesCEF, said, “Existing gas infrastructure is not just essential to powering the nation today, but it will also be essential to the delivery of clean molecules which are likely to be critical additions to our future energy mix.

“Just as electrons are turning from black to green, overtime, we have the opportunity to change the colour of gas molecules from brown or grey to blue or green.”

Phase two testing of the pipeline is currently underway and is supported by AUD$300,000 ($212,900) of grant funding from the Western Australian government.

The testing is being carried out at the University of Wollongong, in partnership with the Future Fuels Cooperative Research Centre, in a ‘state-of-the-art testing lab’ – which is the ‘first lab of its kind in Australia’.