Construction has started on NSW’s first end-to-end hydrogen and ammonia production plant, with the Good Earth Green Hydrogen and Ammonia (GEGHA) project near Moree designed to supply low-carbon fertiliser and hydrogen directly to regional agriculture.
Backed by $45.2 million from the NSW Government through the Hydrogen Hubs Initiative and the Net Zero Manufacturing Initiative, the project is intended to reduce reliance on imported fertiliser and diesel while supporting domestic manufacturing in regional NSW.
The facility is jointly led by New Zealand-based Hiringa Energy and Moree’s Sundown Pastoral Company and is expected to begin operating in 2027.
Focus on farm supply chains
The GEGHA plant is being developed to strengthen access to fuel and fertiliser for farming operations amid ongoing concerns about international market disruptions.
Once operational, the plant is expected to produce up to 4,500 tonnes of low-carbon ammonia each year. That ammonia will be used to make fertiliser for Sundown Pastoral Company’s Keytah Farm, a 65,000-acre cotton and cropping operation in the Gwydir Region, as well as other agricultural properties across New England.
According to the NSW Government, the project is expected to replace imported fossil fuel-based fertilisers and remove up to 17,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from farming activity.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said the project showed how hydrogen investment could support regional industries while addressing supply concerns.
“The current fuel shock shows why projects like this are so important – they help make farming supply chains more reliable by reducing our need for imported fertilisers.”
Sharpe also said the start of construction marked progress in hydrogen development for the state.
“The start of construction on GEGHA marks a major milestone for hydrogen capacity building in NSW, showing how clean energy investment can deliver real benefits for regional communities, industry and farmers.”
Hydrogen for machinery and irrigation
Alongside ammonia production, the facility is expected to produce more than 200 tonnes of green hydrogen annually to help reduce diesel consumption in irrigation pumping and heavy vehicle refuelling.
Sundown Pastoral Company owner David Statham said recent disruptions had exposed vulnerabilities for regional industries reliant on imported supplies.
“Recent fuel and fertiliser supply pressures have highlighted how exposed regional industries remain to volatile international markets, reinforcing the need for greater local energy resilience.”
Statham said farming communities were directly affected by those pressures and needed alternatives that could support regional economies.
“Australia is very vulnerable when it comes to imported fuel and fertiliser. Farmers live and breathe those pressures every day. We need to find another solution to insulate regional economies that are dependent on agriculture, and this shows it’s possible.”
Regional model for future projects
The project has been described as scalable and repeatable, with the potential to be replicated across regional NSW to support local manufacturing and domestic supply chains for industries reliant on fuel and fertiliser.
Overall, the project is expected to create 93 jobs during construction and ongoing operation.
GEGHA offers an example of how clean fuel production can be tied to practical industrial and agricultural uses rather than export ambitions alone.
