Woodside starts engineering activities on H2OK hydrogen project

Australian energy producer Woodside has entered front-end engineering design (FEED) on a hydrogen project for the first time, awarding a contract for FEED engineering services to KBR for its H2OK project in Oklahoma.

H2OK is a liquid hydrogen production facility proposed for the Westport Industrial Park in Ardmore, Okalahoma. Its first phase involves the construction of an initial 290-megawatt facility, producing up to 90 tonnes per day (tpd) of liquid hydrogen through electrolysis. In addition, the location offers the capacity for expansion up to 550 MW and 180 tpd.

Woodside says the FEED phase is a significant project development milestone, eventually leading to a final investment decision. The company is targeting a final investment decision on H2OK in the second half of 2022, and the first liquid hydrogen production in 2025.

Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said that new energy projects like H2OK have the potential to create significant value for shareholders. She also stressed that Woodside looks to diverse product offerings to customers in support of their decarbonisation goals.

“We are excited about the H2OK opportunity, given H2OK’s strategic location close to national highways and the supply chain infrastructure of major companies already looking for reliable, affordable and lower-carbon sources of energy. Coupled with our recently announced target to invest US$5 billion in new energy products and lower carbon services by 2030, this FEED entry supports Woodside’s strategy to thrive through the energy transition.”

H2OK FEED entry follows a series of recent announcements about Woodside’s expanding new energy
interests in the U.S. This includes a memorandum of understanding with Hyzon Motors and a collaboration with renewable energy technology company Heliogen.

Woodside intends for H2OK to be a net-zero project. Power will be sourced from Oklahoma’s existing network, a large portion of which is wind-powered, and Renewable Energy Certificates will be used to abate any remaining emissions.