GEA Conference Day 2 Wrap
Day 2 of the Gladstone Engineering Alliance Conference was shaped by a major announcement and the scale of Gladstone’s development coming into context.
“All Gladstone Engineering Alliance events are of the highest quality, and the annual conference has been no exception,” said Lidiar Group’s Niall Callan. “From tours to see the projects shaping the region’s future to high-quality speakers from across the government and industry, the conference has been superbly organised and run.”
“The big news from Day 2 is the memorandum of understanding signed by Sumitomo and Rio Tinto to work together on a feasibility study to supply hydrogen for Rio Tinto’s Gladstone operations. The project will see the construction of a 2.5MN electrolyser to supply Hydrogen to the Yarwun refinery and upgrades to a calciner to operate using hydrogen. The trial is expected to see 6,000 tonnes of alumina produced while reducing emissions by 3,000 tonnes per year.”
“This is a significant step; when the private sector, supported by federal funding, can prove a concept, the potential for us to realise the use of hydrogen as an alternative energy source becomes stronger. This trial could be significant, not just for the parties involved, but for the sector as a whole and we are excited to see what the outcome will be.”
“It was also good to hear a key project update from H2U’s Attilio Pigneri, who went through the progress they have been making in getting their facilities in Gladstone through the approval process and the various partners they have been working with to develop the project. Once again, it highlighted the need for collaboration between business, government and community to ensure that vital developments can progress, communities are engaged, and critical projects can become a reality.”
“The session also made me reflect on the scale of the development happening in Gladstone, putting projects into context that we had seen on the tour on Tuesday. I can now visualise the locations and get some perspective on the size of these projects and how they link up. Seeing that the Yarwun site would be the production facility and that Fisherman’s Landing would be the export precinct and knowing the distance between them could give me a good understanding of what will be required in supporting infrastructure and development to support Gladstone’s role as one of Queensland most important economic and industrial centres.”