Cotton farm Credits: Supima
Cotton, a staple of global textiles and the fashion industry, bears a significant carbon footprint, emitting 2-4 tons of CO2 per hectare during production. However, a pioneering venture in Australia is poised to offer a climate-positive solution to cotton cultivation, potentially transforming the landscape for international farmers and supply chains.
In a strategic partnership between Hiringa Energy, a trailblazing green hydrogen enterprise, and the Sundown Pastoral Co., an agricultural and pastoral enterprise and certified B. Corp, the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has allocated nearly 36 million dollars in funding. The partnership involves the establishment and operation of a groundbreaking renewable ammonia and green hydrogen production facility, situated on a cotton farm within NSW.
Integral to this initiative is the innovative process of generating green hydrogen through electrolysis, where renewable electricity is harnessed to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. This emission-free methodology marks a paradigm shift in sustainable energy production. An added advantage emerges in the form of low-carbon ammonia, a by-product of the process, which holds potential as a crop fertilizer.
Climate-positive cotton
The farm, which will be underpinned by a 27-megawatt solar farm, is projected to generate approximately 45,000 MWh of energy annually, as reported by Australia's ABC Rural news. The implications of this venture are profound: the produced hydrogen could supplant over 1.4 million liters of imported diesel fuel, thus yielding a direct offset of more than 17,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
This initiative not only underscores Australia's commitment to fostering climate-friendly innovations but also paves the way for a new era of sustainable cotton production worldwide.
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