Australia’s Origin to exit Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub

: Emissions, Fertilizers, Hydrogen
24/10/03

Australian utility and upstream firm Origin Energy has decided not to proceed with its planned hydrogen development project, the Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub (HVHH), in Australia's New South Wales.

The decision to withdraw from the proposed 55MW HVHH and halt all hydrogen opportunities was made because of continuing uncertainty about the pace and timing of hydrogen market development, Origin said.

The firm said the capital-intensive project, intended to progressively replace gas as a feedstock in a nearby ammonia manufacturing plant, carried substantial risks.

Origin Energy had an initial agreement with Australian chemicals and explosives company Orica to take 80pc of the green hydrogen produced from the hub for Orica's 360,000 t/yr ammonia facility on Kooragang Island, near the city of Newcastle. Origin Energy and Orica in 2022 said they will study plans to develop the HHVH in Hunter Valley region of NSW, which is Australia's largest thermal coal-producing area.

"It has become clear that the hydrogen market is developing more slowly than anticipated, and there remain risks and both input cost and technology advancements to overcome. The combination of these factors mean we are unable to see a current pathway to take a final investment decision on the project," said chief executive Frank Calabria on 3 October.

Origin had planned to make a final investment decision on the project by late 2024.

The hub, which was estimated to cost A$207.6mn ($143mn), had been allocated A$115mn in state and federal funding and was shortlisted for production credits under Canberra's Hydrogen Headstart programme.

In July, Origin described the pace of development in the hydrogen industry as "slower than it had anticipated 12 months ago", said. The company expressed hopes that improved electrolysis efficiency would reduce the rising costs of production.

The decision is a significant setback for Australia's green hydrogen ambitions, following the July decision by Australian miner and energy company Fortescue to postpone its target of 15mn t/yr green hydrogen output by 2030.

By Tom Major

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

24/11/21

Indian NP/NPK stocks drop to below 3mn t

London, 21 November (Argus) — India's domestic sales of NP/NPK fertilizers have continued to outpace both production and imports, leaving stocks below 3mn t for the first time since February 2023. Domestic sales of NP/NPK under the country's direct benefit transfer system amounted to 1.47mn t in October, up by 45pc on a year earlier. Sales from April-October — the first seven months of India's 2024-25 agricultural year — totalled 8.72mn t, up by 23pc on the year. Domestic NP/NPK production rose by 15pc on the year to 867,900t last month, putting April-October output at about 6.25mn t, up by 11pc on the year. NP/NPK imports in October amounted to 183,000t, up by 51pc on October last year. April-October imports amounted to 1.28mn t, down by 10pc year on year. The data imply total NP/NPK stocks in India of about 2.93mn t at the end of October, down by 12pc on the month and down by 15pc on the year. By Nykole King Indian NP-NPK stockbuild mn t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: EU, four countries commit to 1.5°C climate plans

24/11/21

Cop: EU, four countries commit to 1.5°C climate plans

Baku, 21 November (Argus) — The EU, Canada, Mexico, Norway and Switzerland have committed to submit new national climate plans setting out "steep emission cuts", that are consistent with the global 1.5°C temperature increase limit sought by the Paris Agreement. The EU and four countries made the pledge at the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan today, and called on other nations to follow suit — particularly major economies. Countries are due to submit new climate plans — known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) — covering 2035 goals to the UN climate body the UNFCCC by early next year. The EU, Canada, Mexico, Norway and Switzerland have not yet submitted their plans, but they will be aligned with a 1.5°C pathway, EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said today. The Paris climate agreement seeks to limit the global rise in temperature to "well below" 2°C and preferably to 1.5°C. Canada's NDC is being considered by the country's cabinet and will be submitted by the 10 February deadline, Canadian ambassador for climate change Catherine Stewart said today. Switzerland's new NDC will also be submitted by the deadline, the country's representative confirmed. Pamana's special representative for climate change Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez also joined the press conference today. Panama, which is designated as carbon negative, submitted an updated NDC in June. It is planning to submit a nature pledge, Monterrey Gomez said. "It is time to streamline processes to get to real action", he added. The UK also backed the pledge. The UK announced an ambitious emissions reduction target last week. The UAE — which hosted Cop 28 last year — released a new NDC just ahead of Cop 29, while Brazil, host of next year's Cop 30, released its new NDC on 13 November during the summit. Thailand yesterday at Cop 29 communicated a new emissions reduction target . Indonesia last week said that it intends to submit its updated NDC ahead of the February deadline, with a plan placing a ceiling on emissions and covering all greenhouse gases as well as including the oil and gas sector. Colombia also indicated that its new climate plan will seek to address fossil fuels, but it will submit its NDC by June next year . By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: EU says finance draft text not acceptable

24/11/21

Cop: EU says finance draft text not acceptable

Baku, 21 November (Argus) — The latest draft of the text on climate financing presented at the UN Cop 29 climate summit is not ambitious enough on mitigation — reducing emissions — and "clearly unacceptable," EU energy commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said today. Parties must agree at Cop 29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) — a new climate finance target — building on the $100bn/yr that developed countries agreed to deliver to developing countries over 2020-25. The text is the main outcome for the summit. "What we had on our agenda was not just to restate the [Cop 28] consensus but actually to enhance that and to operationalise that," but the text goes in the opposite direction, Hoekstra said. Parties to last year's Cop 28 summit in Dubai made an historic pledge to "transition away" from all fossil fuels. The EU has warned against any backsliding on this pledge . "We cannot accept the view that the previous Cop did not happen," Hoekstra said. A draft text on the mitigation work programme — a process that focuses on emissions reduction — was released by the Cop 29 presidency in the early hours of this morning. It does not mention phasing out or reducing fossil fuels in energy systems, or reference the agreement reached on the latter point at Cop 28 last year. Hoekstra indicated today's text does not provide enough clarity to allow the EU to put a concrete number on the amount of climate finance that should be available. The bloc has insisted the final number for climate financing can come only when other elements, including the structure and contributor base, are settled. But recipient country groups such as the G77 and Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) groups have expressed impatience at the lack of a concrete number. Minor bright spots in the numerous draft texts released overnight include those on Article 6, which governs international carbon credits, Hoekstra said. But the commissioner is "sure there is not a single ambitious country who thinks this is nearly good enough." By Rhys Talbot Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: Talks on Article 6 near final agreement

24/11/21

Cop: Talks on Article 6 near final agreement

Washington, 21 November (Argus) — Negotiators at the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, appear close to a final agreement on the details of an international carbon market under the Paris Agreement. The ministers leading the final discussions on 21 November released updated texts for Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 of the accord that attempt to bridge the gap on remaining issues. It is not yet clear if these are the final texts, but any work left may only involve some "small tweaks", International Emissions Trading Association (Ieta) international policy director Andrea Bonzanni said. Those two sections of the Paris Agreement govern how countries can use carbon credits to meet their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-reduction pledges, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Article 6 aims to help set rules on global carbon trade. EU energy commissioner Wopke Hoekstra called Article 6 one area of the talks "where at least the text is a bit encouraging." "We've always been pleading for more progress on Article 6," he said. "We've stressed the tremendous importance of transparency, predictability, credibility of these items." On the key issue of the Article 6 credit registry, the text reflects the idea of a "dual layer" approach that Singapore environment minister Grace Fu suggested on 20 November . The text calls for the creation of a registry to issue and trade credits that would be run by the UN and would be separate from the Article 6 registry, which would only serve an accounting function. "It looks like they managed to make both sides happy," Bonzanni said. The text also says that the inclusion of any emissions credits — known as internationally transferable mitigation outcome (Itmo) units — in the UN registry does not represent any sort of validation of their environmental integrity, in response to concerns raised by the US and others. "There was a concern that if the Itmos are in a UN registry, they may be seen as automatically having legitimacy or UN endorsement," Bonzanni said. The US should be happy with that language, he added. But the EU got only some of what it has sought over the past year. Most notably, the latest text does not include a definition of a "cooperative approach," essentially what it means for countries to buy and sell emissions units under Article 6. An earlier draft of the text included a definition, but there were concerns that it "could have restrained the markets significantly" and created confusion around certain requirements for when countries authorise Itmos, Bonzanni said. "I believe the presidency did a good job by making tough calls." Ieta is not happy with everything in the text, but at the same time "there is nothing harmful" to trading in it, Bonzanni said. By Michael Ball Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: New climate finance draft does not bridge divide

24/11/21

Cop: New climate finance draft does not bridge divide

Baku, 21 November (Argus) — The UN Cop 29 presidency has released a new draft text on the key issue of climate finance, but entrenched positions remain with no agreement on an amount, and no explicit reference to reducing fossil fuels in energy systems. The outcome of the finance discussions are inextricably linked to progress on mitigation, or cutting emissions. Developing countries have long said they cannot decarbonise or implement an energy transition without adequate finance. Developed countries are calling for substantially stronger global action on emissions reduction. Countries are working at Cop 29 to decide the next stage of a climate finance goal. Developed countries agreed to deliver $100bn/yr in climate finance to developing nations over 2020-25. The draft, released in the early hours today, streamlines previous iterations. But countries' views on details such as the amount beyond 2025 are set out in separate 'options', illustrating a lack of common ground. The text does not overtly reference phasing out or reducing fossil fuels, although it does call on the fossil fuel industry to align itself with the Paris Agreement and for phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. It is unclear if there was wide agreement on these points. Countries agreed at Cop 28 last year to "transition away" from fossil fuels. The first option, which roughly covers developing country views, sets out a climate finance goal of upwards of $1 trillion over 2025-35, broken down into provision and mobilisation. The provision element — which developed countries would be called on to provide — is in the billions of dollars, from a $100bn/yr floor, and should be grant or grant-equivalent, according to the draft. Mobilised finance, which could be private finance or even from carbon markets, would make up the rest — although no specific figures are in this part of the draft text. The second option, broadly covering developed countries' position, focuses on the Paris climate agreement that seeks to limit the global rise in temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This option sets a floor of $100bn/yr by 2035 for "collectively mobilising" finance "from a wide range of sources". It outlines a goal of $1 trillion or more for "global finance in climate action… from all sources of finance". The contributor base has long been a point of contention. UN climate body the UNFCCC delineated developed and developing countries in 1992, and the former group has consistently argued that economic circumstances have since changed, requesting a wider contributor base for climate finance. But positions on this appear not to have changed. The first option "invites developing country parties willing to contribute" to do so voluntarily, but says this will not be counted in the official finance goal. The second option notes that developed countries take the lead, but contributions from "countries with the economic capacity to contribute" will be counted. "This is not a text that aims to bridge", non-profit WRI director of international climate action David Waskow said today. He sees "a lot of work to be done". Cop 29 is scheduled to finish on 22 November, but many participants said it is likely to overrun. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more