The green light for the plant was issued by Townsville City Council and covers up to 1 gigawatts (GW), as well as a behind-the-meter solar photovoltaic and battery storage facility within the precinct.
The company’s initial development involves generating green hydrogen from a pilot scale facility of 10 megawatts (MW) and increasing capacity in stages to meet the needs of a growing domestic and export market.
Edify chief executive officer (CEO) John Cole welcomed Townsville City Council’s approval of the development application and said the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct represents a future vision of Australian industry and energy.
“We’re very pleased to be a leading player in the establishment of the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, a blueprint for new age environmentally sustainable industrial ecosystems,” Cole said.
“The Eco-Industrial Precinct not only supports the use of natural mineral resources for advanced manufacturing and production, but also the use of renewable energy from the approved and co-located Majors Creek Solar Power Station, utilising advanced grid friendly technology and storage to dispatch renewable energy when it is most needed.”
Electricity from renewable sources is a crucial part of green hydrogen production.
Cole said that Townsville was a logical choice to lead green hydrogen production for its existing rail and road infrastructure connecting Lansdown to the Port of Townsville.
“The linking of clean electricity generation with the proposed advanced eco-industrial activity at Lansdown, together with the hundreds of millions of dollars in investment and opportunities for future proofed careers is what delights us,” Cole added.
Townsville City Council Mayor Jenny Hill said that she was pleased with Edify’s application to have the development in Townsville.
“Edify’s desire to establish itself at the precinct supports Council’s ongoing efforts to work with both the State and Federal Government through the Townsville City Deal to get the precinct investment ‘turn-key’ ready as soon as possible,” said Hill.
She added that the precinct had the potential to boost Townsville and North Queensland’s economy for decades.
For more information visit the Edify Energy website.