A global project delivery and asset service provider has been tasked with constructing the Central Queensland Hydrogen Projects (CQ-H2) Front End Engineering Design (FEED) work, which plans to install 640MW of electrolysers.

Worley has been awarded the FEED work on the CQ-H2 Project. The project represents the largest investment in an Australian renewable hydrogen project to date and also ranks in the global top ten hydrogen projects at the pre-FID stage.

The project initially plans to install up to 640MW of electrolysers and produce up to 200t/day of gaseous renewable hydrogen, with offtakers purchasing the gas to convert to renewable ammonia or liquified hydrogen.

As Queensland’s largest renewable hydrogen project, the project aims to deliver renewable hydrogen via its different carriers to Japan and Singapore, as well as supplying large domestic customers in Central Queensland.

Worley President for Australia and New Zealand, Gillian Cagney, said that the company is proud to be supporting the world-scale project.

“The Central Queensland Hydrogen Project is a landmark project, set to propel Stanwell’s operations, the Gladstone region and Queensland as a whole into a leading exporter of green energy.”

The project is backed by funding from all consortium members, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Queensland Government’s Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund.

At its peak CQ-H2 is expected to support more than 8,900 new jobs, deliver $17.2 billion in hydrogen exports and add $12.4 billion to Queensland’s Gross State Product over its 30-year life.

At the FEED investment signing, Chief Executive Officer of Stanwell Corporation, Michael O’Rourke said that the advancement of this important hydrogen project is great news for Central Queensland residents.

“The advancement of this important hydrogen project is great news for Central Queensland, where the project could create thousands of jobs and deliver billions of dollars in economic benefit.

“We will be bringing together our local and global hydrogen technical expertise along with our breadth of services, spanning multi-discipline engineering, ports and infrastructure capability, sustainability and environmental services and our in-house construction and commissioning expertise.

“Our work with Stanwell to date demonstrates our unique ability to support projects right from early concept studies into front end design, and we are looking to continue that support post-FID into the execution stage.

“The project is aligned to our purpose of delivering a more sustainable world and is pivotal to the decarbonisation goals within our home region,” Mr O’Rouke said.

Worley worked on the project in the role of technical advisor during the initial feasibility study and is now scoped to provide the FEED study for the Hydrogen Production Facility (HPF) and Hydrogen Transfer Facility, along with the pre-FEED study for the Hydrogen Liquefaction Facility.

Commercial operations are expected to start in 2028. If successful, the project will ramp up in future phases to full-scale operation of approximately 2,240 MW electrolysers producing 800t per day of gaseous renewable hydrogen by 2031.