Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) has expanded the supply of blended renewable hydrogen in South Australia, increasing from 700 homes to nearly 4,000 homes and businesses in Mitchell Park, Clovelly Park and parts of Marion.
This expansion is a significant endorsement of the success of this pioneering project as it marks two years since it began delivering blended renewable hydrogen to homes in the southern part of Mitchell Park in May 2021, demonstrating the ability of the existing gas network to transport renewable gas to homes and its compatibility with existing gas appliances.
AGIG CEO Craig de Laine said the decision to expand the HyP SA project reflects confidence in renewable hydrogen as a safe and reliable low carbon fuel source, as well as customer satisfaction with the product.
“The importance of renewable gas is becoming clearer by the day, as an additional source of low or zero carbon energy that can be delivered today to help meet Australia’s ambitious decarbonisation targets.”
“The blended gas is supplied through our existing gas network, which is ready to accept hydrogen with little additional cost, making it a here-and-now technology.”
“The domestic market through our over 475,000 South Australian customers is available today to progress the benefits of the emerging hydrogen future.”
“Importantly, the local community has shown strong support for HyP SA and the renewable hydrogen it produces. 100% of customers surveyed have told us that the safe and reliable delivery of gas to their homes has remained the same or improved, and 96% experienced either no difference or an improvement to their appliances.”
HyP SA is also now delivering blended renewable hydrogen gas to the brand new, 4.5 star La Loft Hotel, making it Australia’s first commercial property to use a renewable hydrogen blend.
The expansion also includes a range of other small businesses and schools, as well as thousands of households who have been actively engaged throughout development of HyP SA.
HyP SA remains Australia’s largest operating electrolyser and has provided a template for a number of similar projects nationally, demonstrating the significance of the South Australian Government’s leadership in hydrogen development and deployment.
“The South Australian Government has a long history of leadership on renewable energy, including hydrogen, and AGIG’s HyP SA project shows the opportunities we have to scale up renewable gas production and deployment” said Mr de Laine.
“We continue to appreciate the Government’s ongoing support of HyP SA and the pathways they are forging for other nation-leading renewable energy projects in the state.”
“AGIG is very proud to be delivering and expanding exciting projects like HyP SA, which clearly show renewable gas can have a growing role in supporting customer choice, energy reliability, affordability and flexibility when it comes to meeting consumer energy needs that also meet our state’s climate goals.
“We have plans to continue to expand the availability of renewable gas throughout South Australia, which can support delivery of low carbon targets.”
“By using South Australia’s abundant renewable electricity to produce hydrogen at HyP SA, the project showcases the potential of hydrogen as well as the synergies that exist between renewable electricity and renewable gases.”
The expansion follows AGIG’s announcement of a 10 megawatt renewable hydrogen production facility in Wodonga, Victoria, which will add to AGIG’s renewable projects that deliver hydrogen-blended renewable gas to thousands of Australian customers.