ATCO Hydrogen Microgrid

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ATCO believes Australia’s gas distribution network will play a key role in the future energy mix, bringing natural gas and new ‘clean’ gas, including hydrogen, to customers playing a central role in reducing energy costs and carbon emissions and an ideal complement to intermittent renewable energy like wind and solar.To further explore this concept, ATCO developed an industry leading ATCO Hydrogen Microgrid, known as Clean Energy Innovation Hub (CEIH), based at the company’s Jandakot Operations facility in Western Australia.The Clean Energy Innovation Hub is now fully operational.How the project worksThe ATCO Hydrogen Microgrid project incorporates the production, storage and use of hydrogen, as well as the commercial application of clean energy in micro-grid systems.The CEIH integrates renewable hydrogen created by water electrolysis – using solar energy to separate hydrogen molecules from water. The hydrogen is captured and injected into a micro-grid system at the Jandakot facility. Some of the safety and technical challenges tackled by the CEIH project included optimising hydrogen storage solutions, blending hydrogen with natural gas and using hydrogen a direct use fuel.

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