A pragmatic approach to Hydrogen scale-up. With Warradarge Energy

Exploring Clean Energy

Discussions of Green Iron, Green Ammonia and Dual-fuel heavy transport

Stephen Archer:

Stephen Archer is the CEO of Warradarge Energy, a company leading the development of renewable hydrogen projects in Western Australia. Warradarge’s portfolio of projects covers diesel displacement, green iron, and green ammonia offtake markets. The company focuses on strong renewable resources and addressable offtake markets as a strategic focus. Stephen has spent over a decade in renewable energy and hydrogen project development, financing and execution. Most recently serving as WA State Manager for BP’s renewable energy division – where he developed over 2.6GW of grid-connected Solar, Wind and Battery projects, including Australia’s largest single-stage solar farm, and the renewable generation assets attached to some of the largest green hydrogen projects currently in development.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Andy Marsland speaks with Stephen Archer, CEO of Warradarge Energy, about the company’s innovative approach to renewable hydrogen projects in Western Australia. They explore Warradarge’s three major initiatives: green hydrogen production, dual-fuel trucking technology, and green iron manufacturing. The conversation highlights the importance of pragmatic, scalable solutions in Australia’s energy transition.

­­­Topics & Highlights

1. Warradarge’s Mission and Strategy

• Developer of hydrogen projects in WA’s Midwest region.
• Focus on upstream and downstream market alignment.
• Three active projects: hydrogen production, dual-fuel logistics, and green iron.

2. Green Hydrogen Production

• 25 MW electrolyzer connected behind-the-meter to a 300 MW wind farm.
• Utilizes curtailed energy for hydrogen production.
• Targeting diesel displacement with identified offtake customers.

3. Dual-Fuel Trucking Technology

• Partnership with Newhaul and Fenix Resources.
• Retrofitting trucks to blend hydrogen into diesel intake.
• 30–40% diesel displacement; scalable and reversible.
• Technology developed by HW Richardson in New Zealand.

4. Green Iron Initiative

• Co-development of a 750–1000 MW hydrogen project for green iron production.
• Collaboration with Athena and Fenix Resources.
• Briquetting magnetite concentrate using renewable energy and hydrogen.
• Potential to offset ~4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually.

5. Challenges and Policy Needs

• Demand-side policy gaps and international collaboration hurdles.
• Hydrogen’s role as a “Swiss Army knife” – versatile but not universal.
• Importance of realism and pragmatism in project development.

6. Future Outlook

• Stage 1 construction planned for 2026.
• Stage 2 (green iron) targeted for 2030.
• Stage 3 (green ammonia export) in early development.

Notable Quotes

“Every achievement worth talking about was declared impossible before it was done.” – Stephen Archer
“Hydrogen will assist, not replace everything.” – Stephen Archer

Links:

https://warradarge.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/warradarge-energy/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-archer/