Hydrogen

The energy of the future, here today

Learn more about our current hydrogen activities across the globe including Perth and upcoming investments.

Hydrogen
  • US$5 billion

    targeted investment in new energy products and lower carbon services by 2030

  • A$40 million

    jointly invested in the Woodside Monash Energy Partnership, which includes hydrogen research

  • 5

    Proposed hydrogen and ammonia opportunities

Process

How can we make hydrogen?

We are developing new energy and lower carbon solutions - like hydrogen - that will be part of our future. Our principles for hydrogen development are: 1) customer led; 2) technology agnostic; and 3) lowest cost. We are looking at opportunities for both hydrogen from natural gas with process emissions abated, and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.

The majority of hydrogen available today is produced through a process called steam-methane reforming (SMR):

  • Start with natural gas, which is largely made up of methane (containing four hydrogen atoms in each molecule).
  • The gas is reacted with high-temperature steam to release the hydrogen.
  • A small amount of carbon dioxide is generated during SMR, which we commit to managing through technical abatement or market offset.

Hydrogen can also be produced from renewable power sources, such as wind, solar, hydro, or geothermal.

  • The renewable energy powers electrolysers, which split water into hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
  • No carbon dioxide is produced.
  • Currently, around 5% of the world's hydrogen is produced in this way. We want to see this share increase, but to get there, the hydrogen industry needs scale, driven by demand. This requires a competitive price.
Hydrogen Process Graphic-web

Woodside's hydrogen investment

We're working with partners in Australia and internationally to improve our understanding of the role hydrogen can play in global decarbonisation.

Thought leadership: the energy transition

We participated in a webinar series hosted by Monash University through the Woodside Monash Energy Partnership. Our team spoke on different aspects of the energy transition: challenges and opportunities for renewable hydrogen, carbon reuse and energy transition.

Find out more