Sundown Pastoral Co, a prominent Australian agricultural enterprise, and Hiringa Energy, a leading hydrogen energy company, have joined forces to pioneer a groundbreaking sustainable agriculture initiative. The partnership heralds a new era of low-carbon, environmentally-conscious agricultural practices. This collaboration comes in tandem with the announcement of more than US$ 26 million in funding from the NSW government under the New South Wales (NSW) Hydrogen Strategy.
The Good Earth Green Hydrogen and Ammonia (GEGHA) project is set to revolutionize the agricultural landscape by introducing an integrated solar energy to hydrogen and ammonia operation. Located at the Wathagar ginning facility on the 'Keytah' agricultural property near Moree in northern New South Wales, this initiative is particularly significant as 'Keytah' is home to the world's first Good Earth Cotton farm, known for producing climate-positive and traceable cotton.
Developed and operated in partnership with Hiringa Energy, the GEGHA project aims to establish a sustainable pathway for multiple hard-to-abate agricultural and logistics activities in the Moree region. This includes producing ammonia-based fertilizer, on-farm energy use, and transporting agricultural goods for export markets. One of the project's key objectives is to create a localized and low-carbon supply chain to replace emissions-intensive imported fertilizers, diesel, and LPG commonly used in the agricultural and transport sectors in New South Wales and beyond.
By supplying low-carbon hydrogen for heavy road transport refueling in the Moree region, the GEGHA project aspires to stimulate the growth of the hydrogen transportation sector both locally and across New South Wales. This innovative approach opens avenues for agricultural producers to decarbonize transport-related emissions as they distribute their crops to global markets, contributing to lower-carbon food and fiber production.
David and Danielle Statham, the visionaries behind Sundown Pastoral Company's climate-positive regenerative cotton program Good Earth Cotton and traceability technology FibreTrace, have a clear mission to demonstrate the role of Australian agricultural leaders in reducing climate impact.
"Hydrogen and green ammonia provide a unique opportunity to secure cost-effective, clean, secure energy for power, heat, farm operations, and transportation, as well as green fertilizers for agriculture – it is so important for us to be part of leading this change for the environment and our communities," stated David Statham.
The GEGHA project is strategically poised to address the challenges faced by the Australian agricultural sector. It seeks to counter the closure of domestic ammonia production capacity and redirect ammonia for explosives in mining and international markets, a shift that negatively impacted crop production and quality in 2022.
By focusing on the agricultural fertilizer market, the GEGHA project aims to not only increase local agricultural production but also to decarbonize it by manufacturing fertilizer near its point of use. This approach eliminates the carbon-intensive use of methane feedstock and relies on renewable energy for the manufacturing process.
The GEGHA project is anticipated to directly abate approximately 20,000 tonnes of CO2 per year at full capacity, making a substantial contribution to reducing emissions-intensive practices. Furthermore, the initiative promises additional indirect abatement and safety benefits by reducing shipping and heavy vehicle movements required for fertilizer and diesel transportation. Ultimately, the GEGHA project is poised to transform the Australian agricultural industry, promoting decarbonization, decentralization, and enhanced resilience in a cleaner, sustainable future.