SINGAPORE – S&P Global Platts, the leading independent provider of information, analytics and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets, has announced the launch of the first suite of hydrogen price assessments for Australia, effective August 16, 2021.
Anton Ferkov, Hydrogen Content and Pricing Specialist (APAC) at S&P Global Platts, said: “Our new Australia Hydrogen assessments are in direct response to requests from market participants wanting greater transparency to understand the cost of Hydrogen production in Australia. These assessments strengthen our global suite of Hydrogen prices and reflect Australia’s role as a significant hub for future hydrogen production. Hydrogen continues to attract interest from investors, policymakers and energy market participants as a carrier for clean energy.”
Platts launched the world’s first North American and European hydrogen assessments in December 2019, and in April 2020 expanded its pricing insight into Asia. Platts daily hydrogen price assessments today include 10 US regional set of prices, one Canadian set of prices, and prices from the UK, Netherlands and Japan. These assessments reflect the value of hydrogen produced at worldwide hubs that are significant regions of consumption.
The new Australia hydrogen prices from Platts consist of 128 assessments spread out over six states, based on multiple cost-based production pathways for hydrogen. The first ever hydrogen assessments for Australia, using data points for Aug. 13, saw proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis (including Capex) prices in a range from $2.699/kg in Tasmania to $4.409/kg in Western Australia, and for alkaline electrolysis (including Capex) in a range from $1.509/kg in Tasmania to $2.989/kg in Western Australia. These price levels are below those in Japan and the Netherlands. For instance for PEM in Japan for the same day, prices were $6.136/kg (including Capex), and in the Netherlands at Eur7.316/kg (including Capex, grid only).
The addition of Australia extends the suite of prices to include one of the expected production hubs of hydrogen. The new prices will reflect the daily cost of hydrogen production via the following five pathways: PEM electrolysis, alkaline electrolysis, steam methane reforming with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), coal gasification with CCS, and lignite gasification with CCS. For both PEM and alkaline electrolysis, daily hydrogen prices will be published for the following states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
The Platts Hydrogen Production Asset Database by S&P Global Platts Analytics forecasts around 7.0 million mt H2/year of announced hydrogen capacity from renewables by 2030, catering to the demand primarily from power, industrial, chemicals, and mobility sectors.
