Orica, the mining‑explosives company, has taken a final investment decision to
build a renewable hydrogen hub in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, the
company said in a regulatory filing. The project will use recycled water and
renewable power to produce about 4,700 tons of hydrogen a year, the largest
project of its scale in Australia. Hydrogen will be converted to roughly 26,600
tons a year of low‑carbon ammonia, cutting Orica’s natural‑gas feedstock use
by about 7.5%. The project is one of two awarded funding in the first round of
the Australian government’s AU$2.25bn renewable hydrogen support program.
Construction is expected to start this year with commissioning targeted for
early 2029. The decision bolsters Australia’s hydrogen ambitions after BP exited
a AU$36bn project last year (about US$25bn).
