Home Offshore Energy Provaris Energy made key appointments to advance Tiwi H2 hydrogen export program

Provaris Energy made key appointments to advance Tiwi H2 hydrogen export program

Illustration of the Tiwi H2 Project.

The Tiwi H2 project will utilise a fleet of Provaris’ proprietary H2Neo GH2 carriers for distribution into Asia-Pacific energy markets, with all engineering and final Class approvals scheduled for 2023

Provaris Energy  has made key appointments to further advance the Tiwi H2’s 2023 development program across the key workstreams that will lead to detailed project feasibility, land agreements and environmental approvals.

The Tiwi H2 project comprises the proposed development of a 100,000 tonnes per annum green hydrogen production and export facility on Melville Island, part of the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory.

Facilitation manager appointment

Provaris has appointed Darwin-based Lindsay Whiting to the Tiwi H2 Project team as facilitation manager to assist with the delivery of the project’s key milestones.

The Tiwi H2 Project is on the traditional lands of the Munupi people, with whom Whiting has a long family relationship.

Whiting is a proud indigenous man born in Darwin with deep experience in the construction industry and has served in key roles including port manager of the Port Melville facility, pilot boat master and port facility security officer.

He will assist the company in stakeholder engagement activities and execution of various land agreements which will provide future economic, employment and social benefits to the Munupi clan and Tiwi community.

Provaris executive director and chief development officer Garry Triglavcanin said: “The appointment of Lindsay Whiting is a welcome addition for the Tiwi H2 project team who provides the company with operating experience on the Tiwi Islands, and strong stakeholders relationship in the community.

Project environmental approvals

While the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority (NT EPA) is drafting the Terms of Reference (TOR) for public comment (commencement of the EIS process for environmental approval), Provaris has appointed Darwin-based EcOz to commence an early-works program to fast-track the preparation of the EIS submission.

The scope of the early works program will include a Social Impact Assessment, the Greenhouse Gas Assessment and Abatement Plan, and Noise Assessment as these are likely to form part of the final TOR for the EIS assessment.

Provaris is expecting the draft TOR for the EIS to be issued in January 2023; and then finalised in March 2023, after public consultation.

Appointment of owners’ engineers

Provaris has appointed CE Partners as owner’s engineer to cover the detailed design of the renewable generation component of the project.

This comprises the solar farm, battery energy storage system, substations and transmission line connection to the H2 Production Precinct.

CE Partners’ scope for the project is to complete a 30% design level package to be ready before the end of 2023, with a view to seeking construction proposals and selection of a preferred EPC contractor in early 2024 for construction.

Triglavcanin added: “EcOz and CE Partners are key appointments in maturing the project through detailed design.

“Provaris continues to demonstrate its leadership in the development of an export hydrogen project with the commencement of an early-works program based on the development across technical, approvals and commercials, and in parallel we will seek to formalise key land agreements that can provide long-term benefits to the Tiwi community and the Territory.”

Tiwi land and site agreements

Provaris has engaged the services of leading Darwin-based legal firm WardKeller to advance various land and site agreements for the Tiwi H2 project.

WardKeller has a deep association with the Territory which has facilitated its strong relationships with mining, resources, infrastructure and pastoral clients as well as government and land councils.

Engagement with the Tiwi Land Council, Tiwi Plantation Corporation, Office of Township Leasing and the Munupi Clan will be a focus in early 2023 to commence to process of drafting, negotiating, and executing a Section 19 Lease and other agreements in parallel with the timing of technical and commercial milestones of the project.

Provaris continues to be in discussion with AusGroup, owners of Port Melville, for cooperation on feasibility activities and future commercial arrangements for access to the port.

H2 marketing and offtake – Asia

During October, Provaris completed a marketing trip to Japan and Singapore, which included joint meetings with Total Eren as part of its co-operation MOU announced in September.

For Japan, this was the company’s first trip to market compressed H2 midstream delivery and the Tiwi H2 project.

Meetings included Japanese corporations with H2 offtake requirements from 2030, trading houses that have global H2 development opportunities and offtake ambitions, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) which set policy decisions concerning the country’s H2 strategy.

Provaris also held discussions with the key Singapore agencies (MTI, EDB, EMA, MPA) and end-users of gaseous hydrogen for direct fuel or as renewable green power and has identified new opportunities for further investigation as potential offtake or commercial opportunities.

Potential opportunities are also aligned with the timelines of the company’s H2Neo carrier development and midstream offering in 2026, along with the development and export timelines for Tiwi H2 in 2027.

Timeline

The Tiwi H2 project will utilise a fleet of Provaris’ proprietary H2Neo GH2 carriers for distribution into Asia-Pacific energy markets, with all engineering and final Class approvals scheduled for 2023.

Based on the company’s understanding of the EIS timelines, the Tiwi H2 Project is now anticipated to progress along the indicative development schedule below.

Tiwi H2 development timetable.

Provaris will make further updates on detailed scheduling in the March quarter when the EIS timeline is finalised.

Provaris managing director and CEO Martin Carolan said: “The commencement of early works for the Tiwi H2 project’s detailed design phase in 2023 is an important milestone for the company as we continue to demonstrate our commitment to developing a hydrogen export project from Northern Australia.

“Tiwi H2 is being positioned as an early supplier of commercial-scale volumes for the South-East Asia region.

“Our recent marketing trip to Japan and Singapore confirmed the region’s demand for a H2 import solution before 2030, whilst also increasing the awareness of compressed H2 as an alternative and commercially competitive carrier for H2 supported by a simple low-capex import infrastructure to establish supply chains for power generation and heat applications such as green steel.

“The development of the H2Neo carrier’s ‘first mover’ status for gaseous H2 remains on track for further milestones in 2022.”

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