Desert Bloom Hydrogen, an innovative hydrogen production plant

Australia is set to produce 410,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year by taking the necessary water from the air of the Australian desert, one of the driest places on the planet. This is all thanks to the Desert Bloom Hydrogen project, which will become operational in 2023 with a small-scale plant. Desert Bloom Hydrogen is an integrated plant, consisting of a series of modular, portable hydrogen production units (HPUs), each with 2 MW, which can generate water, heat, electricity and hydrogen. What makes this system innovative is its ability to capture atmospheric moisture to provide the necessary water for the electrolytic cells, solving the problem of water supply in arid areas.

Each HPU consists of:

• a dedicated off-grid photovoltaic system;
• a concentrating solar thermal system with parabolic collectors;
• a water production unit;
• an electrolytic cell.

Each unit can work independently of the others, so they can be placed together or separately. According to forecasts by Aqua Aerem, the company developing the project, the plant will grow in scale, employing 4,000 modular electrolysis units of 2MW each and producing 410,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year at full capacity.
The green hydrogen produced will be destined for both the Australian domestic market and for export. The site is located in the hinterland of the Northern Territory, but will have pipeline, transport and other port facilities in the city of Darwin, which will soon make overseas trade possible.