SA Green Hydrogen & Battery Energy Storage System

The SA Green Hydrogen & Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project is a renewable energy initiative led by Marubeni Corporation in South Australia, demonstrating the production and use of low‑cost green hydrogen supported by battery storage and advanced energy management. Commencing in January 2022, the project was selected under the Japanese Ministry of the Environment’s pilot program supporting end‑to‑end international hydrogen supply chains.

Using surplus renewable electricity, battery energy storage and an energy management system, the facility was a demonstration plant to:

Assess the feasibility of producing hydrogen, storing as a metal hydride and safely transporting it overseas
Assess the feasibility of supplying hydrogen to a supplement fuel gas at an existing natural gas power plant
Assess the opportunity relating to operation of a grid connected Battery Energy Storage System

After completing the FEED, GPA was engaged by Marubeni Corporation via SA Hydrogen Ancillary Pty Ltd to provide Owner’s Engineering, technical advisory and delivery support services during construction, commissioning and handover. GPA acted as an independent technical advisor, supporting technical quality, compliance, performance, commercial governance and stakeholder engagement across a complex, first‑of‑kind project.

GPA’s services included:

Ongoing Owner’s Engineering services during the EPC delivery phase of the project
Specialist SME support for hydrogen and BESS performance testing, compliance and safety in design.
Review and advice regarding the close‑out of construction and commissioning punch list items
Review and assessment of EPC variations and payment claims
Technical support to commercial negotiations and contractual discussions
Attendance at site to witness key construction and commissioning milestones
Review and approval of Issued‑For‑Construction documentation
Support for Japanese Government and Tokyo‑based management technical queries

The project highlights the importance of early Owner’s Engineering involvement, clear performance criteria and proactive interface management when delivering complex hydrogen and energy transition infrastructure, and demonstrates GPA’s capability to support technically complex projects in the emerging future fuels and renewables industries.