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Petrofac wins contract for green-hydrogen project in Australia

| By Mary Bailey

The Engineering and Production Services (EPS) business of Petrofac Ltd. (St. Helier, U.K.) has been awarded its first-ever green hydrogen Front End Engineering Design (FEED) contract for Australia’s largest commercial-scale green hydrogen complex.

The contract for the Arrowsmith Hydrogen Project represents a significant strategic step in Petrofac’s continued expansion into new and renewable energy and quickly follows its recently announced award and partnerships to support Carbon Capture Storage and hydrogen projects in the UK and abroad. Last month the company pledged its commitment to reach Net Zero emissions by 2030, with its EPS business expected to achieve Net Zero by 2025.

Globally, many organizations are developing sustainability and energy initiatives centered around hydrogen, including projects in the U.S., Canada, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Austria, New Zealand, Singapore, Germany, Spain, China, Portugal and Japan

Awarded by Infinite Blue Energy Group (IBE), Petrofac’s scope of work includes reviewing the conceptual work carried out on the project to date and the execution of the FEED study. The scope will be undertaken by Petrofac’s teams in Perth, Western Australia and Woking, England.

As part of the main study, Petrofac will build a robust Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) design, cost and schedule estimation to support final investment decision.

Located in Western Australia, the Arrowsmith Hydrogen Project is expected to commence production by the end of 2022 and will generate 25 tons of green hydrogen per day from the zero carbon energy sources of water, solar and wind.

The project is expected to drive significant growth in regional jobs, energy security and a considerable reduction in Western Australia’s carbon emissions. Petrofac is working diligently to anticipate an early production target for IBE.

Petrofac Engineering & Production Services’ Chief Operating Officer, and global Corporate Development Officer John Pearson, said: “Infinite Blue Energy has committed to become a true Carbon Zero commercial green hydrogen producer, the first of its kind in Australia.

“Our teams have operated in Australia for more than a decade, supporting some of the region’s largest energy developments. As we work to grow our presence in the Asia Pacific, and develop our new energy portfolio, we are particularly excited to deploy our capability and expertise in support of IBE’s landmark project.”

IBE Chief Executive Officer Stephen Gauld said: “Through the completion of the Arrowsmith project and IBE’s innovative business model, Australia can advance its interests on the global stage as a leader in the development of ground-breaking green hydrogen energy solutions and accelerate the creation of a major employment strategy and industry for Australia in the immediate future. We are delighted to partner with Petrofac, who bring world-class engineering experience to this vital project.”