The South Australian government has reached an agreement with GFG Alliance, owner of Liberty Steel, to explore opportunities for hydrogen offtake from Liberty’s Whyalla iron and steel plant.
The government intends to build a hub worth $390.1 million, known as the Hydrogen Jobs Plan facility, which will house a 250 MW electrolyzer as well as hydrogen storage facilities. Its commercial operation is planned for early 2026.
South Australia premier Peter Malinauskas said that the agreement with GFG Alliance ‘provides a roadmap to decarbonization’.
''The agreement gives us and our stakeholders confidence that we will be able to build on our efforts and commitments to produce 4 billion tonnes of high quality magnetite, create a state-of-the-art DRI and green steel plant that will ultimately be powered by renewable energy and green hydrogen.'’
Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman of GFG Alliance
GFG Alliance has also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Australian energy company Santos for a potential long-term supply of natural gas to the Whyalla plant, combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) capabilities.
Source: Renewables Now