A cotton farm in northern NSW will benefit from over $25 million (US) in funding from the state government that aims to fund a project to cut its carbon emissions.
“The plan is to install a 27-MW solar farm producing roughly 45,000-MWh of energy per year to power an electrolysis process whereby rainwater collected on the farm will be split into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen will then be used for on-site ammonia production and to power hydrogen fuel cells (rather than diesel) that pump irrigation water throughout the farm,” according to a report from AgFunder Network Partners.
The project teams Hiringa Energy and Sundown Pastoral Co, which owns the “Green Earth” cotton farm outside Moree.
“Hiringa Energy said the hydrogen produced could displace more than 1.4 million liters of imported diesel and lead to the direct abatement of the equivalent of more than 17,000 tons of CO2,” ABC Australia reported.
The process aims to create a more reliable supply of fertilizer to local farms while simultaneously decarbonizing it.
Sundown Pastoral Company’s “Good Earth Cotton” brand is grown on one of the largest cotton producing properties in Australia, generating up to 78,000 bales per year. Sustainable and innovate farming practices have resulted in a yield increase of over 30% and water efficiency improvements of 235%, according to the company.