Western Australia joins zero carbon certification scheme

The Western Australian government on July 21 said it had become a founding member of the Smart Energy Council's Zero Carbon Certification Scheme to boost the state's renewable hydrogen industry.

The industry-led scheme aims to accelerate the development and deployment of renewable hydrogen, green ammonia and green metals, such as green steel and green zinc, in Australia and around the world.

A Guarantee of Origin is a certificate instrument that labels the origin of a product and provides information to customers on the source of their products and how they are made, the government said.

The Smart Energy Council's scheme will certify the renewable hydrogen, green ammonia or green metal has been made from renewable energy sources, and provide an embedded carbon rating. It will operate as a tracking system for the amount of greenhouse gas emissions connected with the production.

As a founding partner, the Western Australian government will collaborate with the Smart Energy Council and its domestic and international partners to develop and implement the scheme.

The Yuri green ammonia project, a consortium between Engie Renewables Australia and Yara Pilbara Fertilisers, is the second project selected by the scheme for certification. Yara is also a founding member of the scheme.

Located on Murujuga near Dampier, the project will utilise solar energy to produce renewable hydrogen that will be used to produce green ammonia for export to global markets.

Through its Renewable Hydrogen Fund, the state government has invested A$2mn ($1.45mn) in the Yuri green ammonia project. The government said it will work with the Smart Energy Council to explore other projects in the state that could be candidates for the scheme.