Australian refiner Ampol pauses Lytton hydrogen plan

Australian refiner Ampol has paused its plan for a pilot hydrogen production facility at its 109,000 b/d Lytton refinery in Brisbane, Queensland because of unsuitable geotechnical site characteristics as well as project economics.

Ampol was assessing the small-scale pilot hydrogen production facility at Lytton in partnership with Ireland-based green hydrogen firm Fusion Fuel Green.

"We have decided to pause our hydrogen project at Lytton for now," Ampol chief executive officer Matt Halliday said on 22 August. "Hydrogen is going to come, particularly in the hard-to-abate sectors, but it is going to take some time."

Ampol is still researching and undertaking commercial discussions to assess hydrogen production economics and domestic distribution opportunities despite pausing the Lytton hydrogen project, it said.

By Kevin Morrison