New Taranaki project will help reduce NZ carbon emissions.
This content was prepared by Ballance. NZME is publishing it as advertorial.
For the past four years, Ballance Agri-Nutrients and Hiringa Energy have been quietly working on a significant Green Hydrogen Project in Kapuni, Taranaki – the foundation for what will be a growing domestic green hydrogen market.
The joint venture will see electricity generated through four wind turbines. Not only will it power the nearby Ballance ammonia-urea manufacturing plant, but it will also provide renewable energy through its electricity grid, capable of powering up to 24,000 local homes at peak usage.
The electricity generated will be used for the electrolysis process, which converts water into green hydrogen, and will be initially employed to produce low-emission ammonia-urea at the neighbouring Ballance plant.
As a clean fuel, green hydrogen will play a pivotal role in decarbonising parts of the New Zealand economy – a huge tick for reduction of carbon emissions.
The Climate Commission agrees green hydrogen will have an important role in a multiple technologies strategy. It says that, even if Aotearoa rapidly converts to EVs, biofuels or hydrogen will likely still be needed for ships, trains, aircraft, long-distance trucks and some off-road vehicles.
The emissions-intensive heavy truck sector is a ‘low hanging’ fruit for the introduction of green hydrogen fuel with a small number of eco-fleets already out on New Zealand roads, including some in the primary industry transport sector. With the number of hydrogen fleets set to climb over the next few years to help meet emission reduction targets, this clean fuel has already proven to be a crucial resource for the future.
Kapuni, Ballance’s urea plant in Taranaki, ensures surety of clean fuel supply in the form of GoClear (AdBlue) for farmers and growers, as well as for the current heavy transport fleet – helping reduction of emissions on our roads.
While green hydrogen will have a pivotal role to play in the primary industry transport sector, it will also enable New Zealand fertiliser producer Ballance to make strides in products with a lower environmental footprint – critically important in the new reality of a climate change world.
By pivoting to renewable hydrogen energy sources to convert ammonia to urea in the production of nitrogen fertiliser, Ballance will reduce its environmental footprint at its Kapuni ammonia-urea plant.
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For Kiwi farmers and growers, it will mean access to an essential plant nutrient found in urea-based agricultural fertilisers, essential for food production, and which provide a much lighter environmental footprint.
Nitrogen is a vital nutrient for all farming and growing systems, in particular crops such as vegetables, wheat and barley, and for animal protein such as dairy and meat. It’s also a key component of amino acids and proteins which are must haves for human survival.
Locally manufactured nitrogen products manufactured at Kapuni are already lower-emitting than imported equivalents – there’s no use of coal, some use of renewable energy and the product isn’t shipped from offshore. Key to New Zealand maintaining its leadership in sustainable farming and growing is innovation in targeted emissions reductions and programmes aiming to be carbon neutral.
A reliable supply of nitrogen products is also vital for farmers and growers. New Zealand’s top earner is agriculture and horticulture, ensuring it continues to thrive is key to a vibrant economy - rural and urban. On a global scale, the United Nations estimates that half of the world’s population is dependent on food grown with nitrogen fertiliser.
Once nitrogen fertiliser production begins at Kapuni, New Zealand farmers and growers will be able to pioneer the positive change for the future of our agricultural industry. Supported by the use of smart products and precision applications, farmers will be able to control and minimise nitrogen use whilst maintaining fertiliser benefits – continuing the legacy of New Zealand agriculture by contributing to both local and global food supply.