THE Cape Hardy deep water port proposal has taken on a new resident with a recent agreement signed between Iron Road Limited and Hydrogen Utility to develop a green manufacturing precinct at the site.
Hydrogen Utility or H2U, an Australian hydrogen infrastructure developer and renewable energy integrator, plans to start site development of a 'Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Supply Chain Demonstrator' - a distributed electrolysis and ammonia production facility - early next year at nearby Port Lincoln.
Cape Hardy is will then be home to future development of a larger green hydrogen production and export hub.
The 200-hectare green manufacturing precinct will be incorporated into the master plan for the 1100ha Cape Hardy site.
Iron Road managing director Andrew Stocks said the Cape Hardy deep water port proposal was a "true multi-user, multi-commodity model", catering now for mineral, agricultural, and clean energy exports.
"The unique location and scale of the Cape Hardy industrial port development also offers the opportunity to grow a green manufacturing precinct without impacting an adjacent population centre," he said.
"Unlocking the port potential is also expected to have a positive impact on investment discussions for the wider Central Eyre Iron Project development."
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H2U chief executive officer Attilio Pigneri said the green manufacturing precinct would seek to satisfy the growing world demand for decarbonised industrial products and energy.
"The hydrogen infrastructure to be built at Cape Hardy, integrated with the world-class renewable energy resource on the EP, positions the region to grow exports as the markets for decarbonised energy and industrial chemicals in North Asia grow," he said.
"This provides an enormous opportunity for further manufacturing industries to develop and value add to the agricultural, mineral and energy resources of the peninsula.
"It opens up an entirely new, green manufacturing precinct for SA to grow the regional and state economy and employment."
The agreement with H2U is complementary to the existing agreement with farmers' cooperative, EPCBH, where the parties are working together to develop a new grain supply chain network utilising the facilities at Cape Hardy.
EPCBH chair Bruce Heddle was pleased to see the Cape Hardy precinct open to a new industry.
"Cape Hardy will provide an important alternate route to market for produce grown by the region's 700 farming families," he said.
"We welcome the incorporation of the green manufacturing precinct at Cape Hardy and look forward to working with H2U to explore the potential distribution of locally-produced ammonia."
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