FEATURES

AUSTRALIAN BROWN COAL

TO GREEN HYDROGEN
AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD IN SINGAPORE, AS LEGAL COUNSEL TO J-POWER, EXAMINES
INNOVATIONS IN AUSTRALIA’S HYDROGEN ENERGY SUPPLY CHAIN DEMONSTRATION PROJECT IN VICTORIA,
AUSTRALIA. BY PARTNER MICHAEL JOYCE.

As the world increasingly looks for ways to find The coal-to hydrogen gasification plant
cleaner and more environmentally sustainable produces synthetic hydrogen gas generated by
ways to power the global economy, one of the partially oxidising brown coal feedstock under
energy sources being given close consideration high pressure. The carbon monoxide generated
by both governments and the private sector is is then converted into carbon dioxide with
hydrogen. steam and then hydrogen is separated out
There are several reasons that hydrogen through a refining process. It is expected that
is again receiving serious consideration as for each 150 tons of brown coal used in the
an alternative energy source, with the first gasification process, three tons of hydrogen
and foremost being that it is a versatile will be produced;
and environmentally friendly resource that •  Collecting and transporting the hydrogen by
produces only pure water and heat when road to a purpose-built liquefaction and loading
combusted. terminal at the Port of Hastings, in Victoria;
Given the global desire for more •  In another world-first, shipping the liquefied
environmentally friendly fuel sources, hydrogen to Japan by way of the first liquefied
improvements in hydrogen technologies, hydrogen carrier ship ever to be built; and
increasing government support for climate- •  Identifying the necessary requirements to be
friendly fuel diversification and changes in able to move from beyond the demonstration
global energy policy toward decarbonisation, phase to achieve a commercially viable
hydrogen’s time to move beyond its traditional industrial-scale gasification, liquefaction and
use as a feedstock in industrial processes may transportation project.
have come. The HESC project is being undertaken by a
Recent developments have shown that consortium of major Japanese companies and
hydrogen can be used in a number of one of Australia’s largest energy companies.
applications, including electricity generation Each of the project participants possesses a
– not simply in small-scale fuel cells but in specific area of expertise that will be utilised
larger, gas-fired generators – land and sea during the course of the project:
transportation and storing energy from •  Electric Power Development Co Ltd, known as
intermittent renewable sources. J-Power – J-Power is one of Japan’s largest power
However, the uptake of hydrogen for utilities and has a long history of research
these applications has faced a number of and innovation in the power sector. It is also a
challenges, not the least of which is the ability global energy producer, with interests in more
to demonstrate a commercially viable supply than 100 power generation facilities around
chain that can produce hydrogen at a cost that the globe.
is competitive with other sources of energy In the HESC project, J-Power’s primary focus
and capable of being stored and transported in will be to use its cutting-edge technology,
bulk, similar to liquefied natural gas. expertise and know-how to gasify brown coal
This is where Australia’s Hydrogen Energy for the project and then to refine the gasified
Supply Chain demonstration project, or HESC coal to safely extract hydrogen.
project, in the State of Victoria comes in. •  Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd – Kawasaki is one
The ground-breaking A$500m demonstration of Japan’s leading industrial manufacturers
project is focused on demonstrating that a whose key focus for the HESC project is
viable hydrogen energy supply chain can be to transport the hydrogen from J-Power’s
achieved between Australia and Japan for the gasification facilities to the hydrogen
production and transportation of hydrogen. liquefaction and export facilities that Kawasaki
The operation is currently scheduled to is building at the Port of Hastings. It is also
end by March 2021 and the HESC project will responsible for shipment of the liquefied
involve various elements, including: hydrogen aboard Kawasaki’s world first
•  The gasification of brown coal using existing hydrogen carrier, the Suiso Frontier, which was
coal gasification technology that has been launched in Japan in December 2019.1
specifically adapted for the brown coal found •  Iwatani Corporation – As Japan’s only producer
in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley. and supplier of liquid hydrogen, Iwatani will

Reproduced from Project Finance International July 1 2020 © Refinitiv

 HYDROGEN

use its unique expertise to work with Kawasaki and export project based in Victoria can
on the transportation, liquefaction and be developed, with production hoped to
shipment of hydrogen. commence in the 2030s.
•  Marubeni Corporation – Marubeni, one of Such a project could potentially attract
Japan’s largest trading houses, will focus on billions of dollars of international investment
determining how to proceed from the HESC into Australia, create a significant number of
demonstration project to a viable commercial jobs – both in terms of hydrogen infrastructure
industrial scale project. and supply chain operations – and position
•  Sumitomo Corporation – Sumitomo, another Australia as a global leader in the supply of
of Japan’s largest trading houses, will focus on clean hydrogen energy.3
interfacing with the Victorian Government’s The Australian coal-to-hydrogen project will
geo-sequestration project entity known as also assist Australia continue its transition to
CarbonNet, discussed further below. cleaner energy, while at the same time will
•  AGL Energy – AGL, one of Australia’s largest create a new clean fuel commodity for export
power and gas companies, plays a critical role to Japan and the rest of world.4
in the HESC project by providing the site for While there are a number of alternative
the gasification and refining plant at its Loy methods of producing hydrogen the keys are
Yang power complex in Victoria, as well as the cost efficiency and carbon neutrality, and
brown coal feedstock for gasification and other here the State of Victoria has some unique
important project support services.2 advantages in being at the forefront of the new
The State Government of Victoria, Australia’s global hydrogen economy.
Federal Government and the Japanese The first advantage is that Victoria has
Government also play critical roles in the some of the world’s largest recoverable
project in terms of funding, project support reserves of brown coal and these are located
and coordination. From a funding perspective, close by major population centres, ports and
the Victorian and federal governments have infrastructure.
each committed A$50m to the project, with the Historically, Victoria’s brown coal reserves
balance of the project’s funding being provided have been used as a major fuel source
by the project participants. for electricity generation but as Australia
If the HESC project is successful, it is hoped increasingly moves away from fossil fuel
that a commercial-scale hydrogen production usage in its power sector, Victoria’s brown

Excavator open cast coal mine © Kasienka - Dreamstime.com

Reproduced from Project Finance International July 1 2020 © Refinitiv

coal-fired power plants are gradually being country’s regulatory framework is adapted in
decommissioned. This means that the future order to aid the viability of the HESC project.
of the brown coal industry, and the many jobs In mid-May, the Australian Parliament passed
and regional economies that depend on it, is the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas
somewhat uncertain. Storage (OPGGS) Amendment Bills amending
However, if producing hydrogen from the OPGGS Act 2006.
brown coal is as cost-effective as the HESC Some of the suite of amendments passed
project participants – and its state and federal include provisions that will facilitate
government supporters – expect, then there future carbon capture and storage projects.
may yet be a future for the brown coal In particular, however, the legislation
industry. clarifies the regulatory environment for the
Repurposing Victoria’s vast coal reserves to CarbonNet project, whose chosen site for
hydrogen production and export may not only development of a commercial-scale offshore
create a brighter future for the region, but for CCS project straddles both Victorian state
Australia more broadly and, indeed, may help territorial waters and federal territorial
to further accelerate Australia’s transition to a waters and hence would be subject to both
greener energy future. state and federal legislation.
Given that the brown coal gasification In passing the new legislation, the federal
and refining process also produces carbon minister for resources, water and Northern
dioxide (CO2), in order to ensure that the Australia, Keith Pitt, said the new CCS laws
environmental benefits of using the hydrogen would pave the way for Australia’s hydrogen
derived from the process are not outweighed export industry.
by the CO2 generation caused by its production, Hydrogen’s versatility and its potential to
the CO2 needs to be captured and dealt with form a substantial part of the global energy
both safely and to the highest environmental mix as countries and corporations strive to
standards. meet their climate change and decarbonisation
This is where Victoria’s second advantage targets, are key reasons governments and
as a location for a commercial scale hydrogen corporations globally are committing
production and export project comes in. significant investment and resources into
As a well-established oil and gas producing hydrogen development. The HESC project is a
region, Victoria possesses geological structures leading example of that commitment.
located close to its coast, which are highly While the development of a global
conducive to geo-sequestration of CO2 and hydrogen-based value chain faces
these structures can be utilised to safely store challenges – such as lowering the cost of
CO2 generated from the hydrogen production hydrogen production, building appropriate
process. infrastructure and ensuring sufficient
This means that the hydrogen produced customer demand – projects such as the
from a commercial-scale project will not only HESC project are demonstrating that progress
limit generation of greenhouse gas emissions is being made on these issues, and helping
when used as a fuel but, just as importantly, to provide the foundation for hydrogen to
it will be environmentally friendly when become a widely used energy resource around
produced. the globe. n
To support the safe, long-term geo-
sequestration of CO2, the Victorian and federal Footnotes
governments have each been working to make 1 – The Japan Times, “Kawasaki Heavy launches
this a reality. world’s first liquid hydrogen ship in quest to
First, the Victorian government has establish green supply chain”, December 13
established, separate from the HESC project, 2019.
a project known as the CarbonNet project. 2 – Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain, “About
CarbonNet is investigating the potential for HESC”.
establishing a commercial-scale carbon capture 3 – Forbes, “Japan and Australia Launch
and storage (CCS) network. The network would an Experimental Coal To Hydrogen Export
bring together multiple CO2 capture projects Industry”, July 24 2019.
in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, transporting CO2 4 – Ibid.
via a shared pipeline and injecting it into deep, 5 – Victoria State Government, Earth
underground, offshore storage sites in the Bass Resources, “The CarbonNet Project”.
Strait.5
The CarbonNet project will, therefore,
provide the requisite CCS for the development
of any commercial-scale hydrogen production
and export project that may be developed
following the successful conclusion to the
HESC project.
Victoria possesses geological structures located close
Second, the Australian federal government to its coast, which are highly conducive to
has also taken steps to ensure that the geo-sequestration of CO2

Reproduced from Project Finance International July 1 2020 © Refinitiv