Ark Energy, a subsidiary of Korea Zinc Co Ltd (KRX:010130), officially initiated the construction of the first phase of the SunHQ Hydrogen Hub in Queensland, Australia. Located in Townsville, this facility will serve as a hub for green hydrogen production and refueling. During the initial stage, a 1-megawatt polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer is set to produce 155 tonnes of green hydrogen each year. Over half of this hydrogen will be used to fuel Ark Energy’s ultra-heavy Hyzon Motors fuel cell electric trucks (FCET), which are leased to its sister company, Sun Metals. These trucks will transport zinc from the Port of Townsville to Sun Metals’ zinc refinery.
The remainder of the green hydrogen production will be made available to significant industrial clients. SunHQ will receive electricity from a behind-the-meter 124-megawatt solar park. As per the plan, green hydrogen production is scheduled to commence by the end of the first quarter of the upcoming year.
This project is financially supported by the Queensland government’s Hydrogen Industry Development Fund, as well as the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) through debt or grant financing.
