The CQ-H2 project represents the largest investment in an Australian renewable hydrogen project to date and also ranks in the global top 10 hydrogen projects at the pre-FID stage. The project initially plans to install up to 640 MW of electrolysers and produce up to 200 tpd of gaseous renewable hydrogen, with offtakers purchasing the gas to convert to renewable ammonia or liquified hydrogen.
As Queensland’s largest renewable hydrogen project, the project aims to deliver renewable hydrogen via its different carriers, to Japan and Singapore, as well as supplying large domestic customers in Central Queensland.
Gillian Cagney, President, Australia & New Zealand, Worley, said: “We are proud to be supporting this world-scale project within the Gladstone region where Worley have remained invested through our local operation for the last 25 years. This is a landmark project, set to propel Stanwell’s operations, the Gladstone region and Queensland as a whole into a leading exporter of green energy.”
The project is backed by funding from all consortium members, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Queensland Government’s Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund. At its peak, CQ-H2 is expected to support more than 8900 new jobs, deliver AUS$17.2 billion in hydrogen exports and add AUS$12.4 billion to Queensland’s Gross State Product over its 30-year life.
At the FEED investment signing, CEO of Stanwell Corporation, Michael O’Rourke, said: “The advancement of this important hydrogen project is great news for Central Queensland, where the project could create thousands of jobs and deliver billions of dollars in economic benefit. We will be bringing together our local and global hydrogen technical expertise along with our breadth of services, spanning multi-discipline engineering, ports and infrastructure capability, sustainability and environmental services and our in-house construction and commissioning expertise."
Commercial operations are expected to start in 2028. If successful, the project will ramp up in future phases to full-scale operation of approximately 2240 MW electrolysers producing 800 tpd of gaseous renewable hydrogen by 2031.