A HYDROGEN energy park at Henderson Waste Recovery Park would be expected to generate a rate of return for Cockburn ratepayers greater than 10 per cent and could be paid off within 10 years of construction.
A City of Cockburn study is looking into hydrogen as a renewable energy source and specifically, the engineering, design and economics that would be required to make the Henderson proposition viable in the future.
Ultimately, the City hopes to be able to use solar power to create hydrogen to fuel waste collection trucks and light vehicle fleets with zero emissions.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWAn additional aim would be to power and heating capability at city venues such as Cockburn ARC and the council’s new administration building in Cockburn Central.
Cockburn acting chief executive Stuart Downing said a renewable off-grid hydrogen plant would use a solar photovoltaic array to power a de-ionised water electrolysis plant, which in turn would enable 15-16 electric waste collection trucks and 50 light vehicles to be refuelled over a two-year period.
It would also enable the creation of compressed hydrogen, which could be used for other power sources such as powering and heating the City’s future administration building down the track.
Mr Downing said waste vehicles were a suitable choice to benefit from using renewable fuels due to their high utilisation, consistent refuelling location, consistent routes and size allowing for larger hydrogen tanks.
He said the study and future concept matched Cockburn’s sustainability strategy, which outlines an aim to reduce the City’s carbon footprint, reduce greenhouse emissions and use renewables to power local assets.
“The aim of an energy park at Henderson Waste Recovery Park provides an internal rate of return greater than 10 per cent and a payback period of 10 years, with the end result of lowering the average cost of supplying electricity and energy to all City facilities,” he said.
“This project, particularly the off-grid solar photovoltaic array, will provide a framework for regional and off-grid communities and businesses interested generating renewable hydrogen fuel, electricity and/or thermal energy.”
He said available land with low opportunity cost, the low cost of PV solar technology and the ability to recycle leachate water meant Cockburn could have the ability to produce hydrogen at an efficient price.