Townsville Powerfuels

ABEL Energy is advancing plans for a large-scale, renewables-based methanol project at the Cleveland Bay Industrial Park in the Townsville State Development Area. The facility would combine biomass gasification of local feedstocks (woodchip, sugar cane waste) with a 260 MW electrolyser to produce roughly 300,000 tonnes per year of e-methanol. While some of the hydrogen generated would be available for domestic use, most would be used alongside syngas as feedstock for e-methanol production targeted at both local and export markets. To support the project, new renewable power generation assets will be required, and ABEL Energy intends to leverage the Port of Townsville for exporting e-methanol, including the development of marine storage and bunkering infrastructure. In March 2024, ABEL Energy signed an MoU with the Port of Townsville to investigate project feasibility, covering market analysis, infrastructure requirements, and logistics planning.