The Bell Bay Powerfuels Project is a renewable hydrogen and methanol production facility in Bell Bay, northern Tasmania. The 280-megawatt facility is expected to produce over 300,000 tonnes of green methanol a year.
Key Dates
| Dec 2022 | Project Announcement |
| 2028 | Expected Construction Completion |
| 2029 | Expected Operations Commencement |
Funding contributions
| Federal Government | |
| Tasmanian Government | |
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The project has been awarded up to $70 million in grant funding from the Federal Government under the Regional Hydrogen Hubs program. |
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Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | ABEL Energy |
| Successful Tenderer: | thyssenkrupp nucera - electrolysers Johnson Matthey - methanol synthesis technology and catalyst supplier SunGas Renewables - biomass gasification technology supplier |
| Related contracts: |
PROJECT HISTORY
| Nov 2020 | The Tasmanian Government announced that ABEL Energy was one of three applicants awarded grant funding under the Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Industry Development Funding Program. The grant of $555,000 contributed to a 1.3 million feasibility study by ABEL Energy into the use of green hydrogen to make methanol at Bell Bay. |
| Jun 2022 | ABEL Energy Knowledge Sharing Report released – this report investigated the feasibility of a 100 MW electrolyser plant to produce renewables-based green hydrogen and methanol at Bell Bay for domestic and export use. |
| Dec 2022 | Iberdrola and ABEL Energy announce a partnership for the joint delivery of the green hydrogen and green methanol production facility. The project's total estimated cost was announced as $1.7 billion. |
| Jun 2023 | Hydro Tasmania announced the signing of a term sheet with Iberdrola and ABEL Energy for the sale of the decommissioned Bell Bay Power Station. ABEL Energy announced the project's total estimated cost had been revised down from $1.7 billion to $1.2 billion. |
| Nov 2023 | ABEL Energy announced the selection of Johnson Matthey as the methanol synthesis technology and catalyst supplier and the selection of SunGas Renewables as provider of the biomass gasification technology. |
| Jan 2024 | ABEL Energy announced that Worley has been engaged to undertake Front-End Engineering Design (FEED). |
| Mar 2024 | ABEL Energy announced thyssenkrupp nucera as the preferred supplier of the (alkaline water) electrolysers. |
| Jun 2024 | The Tasmanian Minister for Energy and Renewables announced the demolition of the former Bell Bay Power Station on the project site has commenced. |
| May 2025 | The Tasmanian Government announced Bell Bay Power Fuels as the provisional proponent for the Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub. |
Estimated Total Cost
(2025)
Sector
Energy
Procurement approach
Other |
Location
Tasmania |
Resources
Media releases
2023/11/11 - Technology suppliers2024/01/30 - Front end engineering design (ABEL)
2024/03/19 - Electrolyser supplier
2024/02/12 - Front end engineering design (Worley)
2024/06/06 - Demolition of former power station
2025/05/31 - Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub provisional proponent
2025/05/31 - Provisional proponent
