Leading Australian energy producer Woodside has announced plans to expand its portfolio of hydrogen production opportunities to the US.

For the development of its proposed H2OK project, the company has secured a lease and option to buy 94 acres (38 hectares) of vacant land in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

The H2OK concept will involve the construction of an initial 290- megawatt (MW) facility, producing up to 90 tons per day (tpd) of liquid hydrogen for the heavy transport sector.

Moving forward, Woodside has finalized the preliminary design of the production facility. The company is currently evaluating tenders to enable the commencement of a front-end engineering design before the end of this year. The first liquid hydrogen production is expected to be in 2025.

“With H2OK we will be bringing Woodside’s extensive liquefaction experience from LNG to deliver large-scale hydrogen production.” Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said “H2OK would be located in a highly prospective part of the US market, close to national highways and the supply chain infrastructure of major companies that have signalled their interest in securing reliable, affordable and lower carbon energy.”

In a related context, Woodside has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hyzon Motors, a New York-based supplier of hydrogen fuel cell-powered transport vehicles. Woodside and Hyzon expect to work together in the areas of supply and infrastructure solutions, coordinated advocacy, and demand stimulation.