Sydney Water, along with construction partner John Holland, is conducting a 28 day trial of a revolutionary hydrogen generator to help power the construction of the $1.2 billion Upper South Creek advanced water recycling centre at Kemp Creek.
The facility will service the Western Sydney Aerotropolis growth area and parts of the Camden and Liverpool local government areas and help cater for growth until2056.
Transitioning to clean emitting hydrogen generators like those trialled by Sydney Water at Upper South Creek is equivalent to taking 50 cars off Australian roads every year.
If the trial is successful, the transition of Sydney Water’s construction projects to hydrogen-powered machinery is another step towards significantly reducing the carbon footprint typically associated with large-scale infrastructure construction.
Sydney Water says its ambition is to achieve net zero carbon emissions in our operations by 2030, and net zero carbon emissions in our supply chain by 2040.
Gill Fowler, Sydney Water environment and sustainability manager of major projects, says hydrogen power could be a viable alternative for the future.
“The adoption of hydrogen technology positions Sydney Water at the forefront of innovation in the industry, potentially attracting future partnerships and investment opportunities that align with our clean energy goals,” Ms Fowler said.
The GEH2 hydrogen generator utilises a hydrogen fuel cell and a lithium-ion iron phosphate battery and has the equivalent power of a diesel generator. The 100kVA hydrogen generator can power over 70 homes at any one time.
It can be used on-site to power cranes, and other heavy equipment. The carbon neutral gas is produced in Australia and emits water vapour as a by-product.
There are significant benefits of using a hydrogen generator over diesel. Hydrogen is considered a clean energy source.
As it doesn’t produce harmful greenhouse gases or pollutants when burned, hydrogen is an environmentally friendly alternative to diesel which currently powers generators and machinery at most construction sites.
Noise reduction is another major advantage with hydrogen powered equipment being quieter than its diesel counterparts, which is especially advantageous for construction projects in noise-sensitive areas, such as urban environments or near residential neighbourhoods.
Picture: Steve Tolley (John Holland general manager of infrastructure with Gill Fowler in front of the hydrogen generator.
They didn’t tell us how much more it will cost over that of the diesel generator?