Trade and Investment Minister Nick Champion has met with Trafigura – owners of Nyrstar, Port Pirie multi-metals facility operators – in Singapore to discuss plans for a hydrogen manufacturing facility in South Australia.

Trafigura is one of the world’s largest physical commodity trading companies and is working with Nyrstar and the South Australian Government to explore opportunities to progress commercial scale green hydrogen manufacturing facility in Port Pirie.

The proposed project could deliver huge economic benefits to the State, including jobs in hydrogen manufacturing.

The full-scale plant would produce 100 tonnes of green hydrogen per day from a 440MW electrolyser, enabling it to meet both export and domestic supply needs.

The oxygen created in the production of hydrogen would be used by the Nyrstar Port Pirie smelter, and 100 per cent renewable electricity would be used to run the project’s electrolyser, contributing to the decarbonisation of the existing facility’s  power supply.

The State Government accelerated the Front-End Engineering Design for the project with a $2.5 million grant from the Jobs and Economic Growth Fund.

A net zero future requires significantly increased production and refining of aluminium, copper and zinc to build wind, solar farms and support other critical infrastructure.

A strong resources sector and a world-leading refiner of lead, zinc and copper based at Port Pirie, provides South Australia with the opportunity to benefit from rising global demand for energy transition metals through increased exports and refining.

Through the development of its Critical Minerals Strategy, the State Government is engaging with Nyrstar around opportunities for Port Pirie to explore extraction of further critical minerals.

Quotes

Attributable to Nick Champion

We’re committed to working with major investors in South Australia to provide pathways to deliver game-changing economic benefits.

South Australia is already a leader in renewable energy and is well on its way towards becoming a global leader in green hydrogen.

These are the projects that will create jobs for South Australians across a range of specialities for both the short and long-term.

Attributable to Trafigura Head of Products Trading Alex Garas

Trafigura is pleased to be working with the South Australian Government on opportunities to produce and use green hydrogen.

We also are working together to explore increased critical and strategic metal extraction at Port Pirie.