NSW hydrogen project gets green light

A large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production facility project in Moree, NSW, has been given the green light.

The Good Earth Green Hydrogen and Ammonia (GEGHA) project has now secured all the financial approvals to move into detailed design and procurement to enable shovels to hit the ground later in 2025 once planning approvals are locked in.

The project aims to replace fossil fuels by using solar energy to power 15 MW electrolysers which will split rainwater into hydrogen and oxygen to produce up to 16 tonnes of green ammonia per day.

The ammonia will be used to produce fertiliser for Sundown Pastoral Company’s Keytah farm — a 65,000-acre sustainable cotton and cropping operation in the Gwydir region — as well as other agricultural properties in New England.

As a result, over the next 20 years, GEGHA is designed to reduce regional farmers’ CO₂ emissions by up to 17,000 tonnes each year, which is the equivalent of powering more than 2000 homes.

“This is an example of genuine innovation in New England,” said Jenny Merkley, Executive Director, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). “The GEGHA project — along with others in the NSW Hydrogen Hubs Initiative — are taking major steps towards reducing carbon emissions in essential industries.”

When complete, the GEGHA project will break ground in NSW as the state’s first end-to-end hydrogen production hub, decarbonising local fertiliser manufacturing and use, while accelerating the state’s capabilities in the green hydrogen industry.

The project is jointly led by Hiringa Energy from NZ and Sundown Pastoral Company.

“Agriculture is always adapting — as farmers we have adapted for generations. We have been measuring our emissions and reductions for the past five years,” said David Statham, owner of Sundown Pastoral Company.

“There is an increasing demand for fibres that demonstrate a lower footprint and the GEGHA project allows us to further control the reduction of our emissions.”

Subject to planning approvals, the first stage of construction is expected to begin in October 2025 with the installation of the solar panels, followed by the hydrogen and ammonia plant in early 2026.

“The GEGHA project demonstrates how low-carbon ammonia can be integrated into regional farming through a scalable, cost-effective model,” said Andrew Clennett, Hiringa Energy co-founder and CEO.

“As both a template and a catalyst, GEGHA paves the way for decentralised production of fertiliser across NSW’s agricultural valleys — cutting emissions, meeting demand and driving a more resilient regional economy.”

The NSW Government is investing $38.5 million to support the project as part of the NSW Hydrogen Hubs Initiative.

Since 2023, the NSW Government has awarded $109.3 million in funding to projects in the Hunter, Port Kembla and Moree regions to help reach the green hydrogen production capacity target of 700 MW by 2030.

“NSW industries will learn from the hydrogen hubs across the state, with potential to leverage hydrogen-enabled value chains such as this, creating more jobs, experience and capabilities in sustainable industries as we progress towards net zero,” Merkley said.

Image credit: iStock.com/Vanit Janthra