Assess biohydrogen from the customer backwards.
Biohydrogen can be produced through defined processes using biological resources, including suitable methane-rich gas. Its usefulness depends on the production route, emissions, input-resource value and the hydrogen customer. It should be compared with using the same resource directly, upgrading to biomethane and other ways to meet the customer’s needs. [[ Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), The Hazer Process: Commercial Demonstration Plant ](https://arena.gov.au/projects/the-hazer-process-commercial-demonstration-plant/); Shelby comparative-assessment guidance]
Hydrogen: latest public references
Retail refuelling and modelled production costs are separate references. Neither establishes a current bulk industrial buyer price.
Delivered industrial quote: project-specific, not established by these references. Figures exclude GST only where tax is evidenced. Unknown or study-specific tax remains source-native.
| Reference | Price | Period and boundary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong dispenser quote | A$30.00 to A$30.00/kg; Excluding GST | June 2025 operator FAQ; October 2026 price not reconfirmed; Corio / Geelong, Victoria; Roll-up dispenser sales, not delivered bulk industrial supply or producer offtake | Viva Energy; PDF page 1, How much does Hydrogen cost per kg?; checked 2026-10-14 |
| ARENA renewable hydrogen cost context | A$6.00 to A$9.00/kg; Study basis; GST not established | 21 March 2025 commentary; not a current buyer quotation; Australia; Cost to produce renewable hydrogen, not a delivered sale price; no site-specific volume or supply contract | ARENA; Opening cost discussion: cost to make one kilogram with current technology; checked 2026-10-15 |
| Renewable electrolysis | A$5.00 to A$10.00/kg; Study basis; GST not established | 2024 strategy baseline, not a 2026 price quote; Australia; source-specific; Production cost, not a delivered buyer price; compression, transport, margins and tax require separate confirmation | DCCEEW; Objective 1: A globally cost-competitive hydrogen industry; paragraph preceding Figure 5, Levelised Cost of Hydrogen production by method over time; checked 2026-10-13 |
Display conversion uses an indicative 30-day average, not a real-time rate. Calculations, project prices and downloads remain AUD.
Name the process
Steam reforming, methane pyrolysis and other conversion routes have different equipment, energy needs and carbon outputs. ARENA’s Hazer project record describes a demonstration converting wastewater-derived biogas into hydrogen and graphite. That pathway should not be presented as equivalent to conventional reforming or as proof of an established nationwide supply network. [[ Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), The Hazer Process: Commercial Demonstration Plant ](https://arena.gov.au/projects/the-hazer-process-commercial-demonstration-plant/)]
Match quality to the application
Nominal purity alone is incomplete. Fuel-cell applications need compliance with the relevant hydrogen specification and individual contaminant limits; industrial buyers set process-specific requirements. Specify quality, pressure, sampling and delivery conditions together. ISO 14687:2025 provides a hydrogen-fuel product specification reference. [[ International Organization for Standardization, ISO 14687:2025, Hydrogen fuel quality ](https://www.iso.org/standard/82660.html)]
Compare delivered economics
Include feedgas, process heat, electricity, cleaning, purification, compression, storage, maintenance and delivery. Low purchased electricity is not the same as low total energy consumption. If methane could be sold instead, its alternative value belongs in the comparison.
Compare local and shared production
A modular unit at an existing facility may suit a nearby customer. A shared hub may offer scale benefits but add transport and coordination costs. Assess both against real quantities and demand. A large industrial hydrogen requirement should not be assumed to fit a small regional installation simply because both involve hydrogen.
Keep origin, performance and revenue separate
Confirm certification eligibility for the actual production pathway. Quantify lifecycle emissions and ownership of any environmental attributes. Credit co-products only where production quality, lawful use and customer terms support them. Shelby is developing evidence-led comparison tools; this page does not establish a supplier guarantee or contracted Australian hydrogen market.
Start with a specific hydrogen configuration
The feedstock tool includes an ideal biomethane steam-reforming plus full-shift chemistry check. It does not transfer that yield to direct biogas reforming, autothermal reforming, gasification, fermentation or methane pyrolysis. Compare the best feasible use of the methane before diverting it: lost biomethane or CHP contribution belongs in incremental economics. Compare BioH₂ and electrolysis at the same delivered quality, pressure and customer service, with imported energy, water, purification and delivery included. Potential hydrogen is not customer-qualified supply.
Hydrogen customer prices versus production costs
Customer purchase prices in AUD/kg and modelled production costs are distinct evidence classes. Keep purity, delivery pressure, transport form, demand, volume and contract terms visible. The shared approved public release currently contains no hydrogen price observations or forecasts.
Comparing hydrogen pathways commercially
Compare biomethane reforming and electrolysis within the same product specification and delivery boundary, including feedstock or electricity, conversion, purification, compression and logistics. Stoichiometric production potential is not saleable hydrogen. Renewable claims require pathway and lifecycle evidence, not purity alone.
Hydrogen prices, cost estimates and outlook
Screening context only. Not current offers, bulk BioCO₂ transaction prices or calculator defaults. Calculations and exports remain AUD; interactive display conversion uses an indicative ECB average.
| Reference | Range | Evidence and boundary | Sources & References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geelong dispenser quote | A$30.00 to A$30.00/kg | published-retail-quote. AUD 30/kg excluding GST; operator also states AUD 33/kg including GST. Roll-up dispenser sales, not delivered bulk industrial supply or producer offtake. June 2025 operator FAQ; October 2026 price not reconfirmed. Dated outlet quote, not a national price index or a current industrial quotation. No automatic calculator use; reconfirm price, availability, purity and pressure with the operator. | Viva Energy: FAQs: Viva Energy Hub Hydrogen Refuelling Station. PDF page 1, How much does Hydrogen cost per kg?. Published June 2025; checked 2026-10-14. Concise attributed factual price reference only. Operator document marked restricted; no document, artwork or compiled data reproduced or hosted. |
| ARENA renewable hydrogen cost context | A$6.00 to A$9.00/kg | modelled-production-cost. AUD 6 to 9/kg production-cost commentary; dollar year and GST not specified. Cost to produce renewable hydrogen, not a delivered sale price; no site-specific volume or supply contract. 21 March 2025 commentary; not a current buyer quotation. Dated indicative production-cost commentary, not transactions or a BioH₂ reforming benchmark. No calculator prefill. | ARENA: The role of oxygen in advancing the renewable hydrogen industry. Opening cost discussion: cost to make one kilogram with current technology. Published 2025-03-21; checked 2026-10-15. Concise attributed factual reference only; no article images or text reproduced; no government endorsement. |
| Renewable electrolysis | A$5.00 to A$10.00/kg | modelled-production-cost. Australian dollars as reported; underlying dollar year not specified in this passage. Production cost, not a delivered buyer price; compression, transport, margins and tax require separate confirmation. 2024 strategy baseline, not a 2026 price quote. Published strategy estimate, not an observed sale, current offer or BioH₂ reforming benchmark. No figures digitised from graph artwork. | DCCEEW: National Hydrogen Strategy 2024. Objective 1: A globally cost-competitive hydrogen industry; paragraph preceding Figure 5, Levelised Cost of Hydrogen production by method over time. Published 2024-09-13; checked 2026-10-13. Based on Commonwealth of Australia (DCCEEW) 2024 material, CC BY 4.0. Shelby presentation; no government endorsement. |
Evidence still needed
CSIRO pathway comparison: exact chart values pending. The December 2025 technical appendix states 2024 AUD (section 2.1) and lists production and fuel assumptions (Tables 8–9), not the supplied approximate levelised-cost results. Approximate graph values remain withheld until reconciled to exact model outputs. Production cost is not a customer price. Source & verification context
No national annual bulk-buyer observations established for 2016–2025. Supplied 2027–2036 indexed curves are arbitrary sensitivities, not assessed market forecasts.
Projected cost reductions, not an observed price trend
The 2024 National Hydrogen Strategy anticipates renewable-energy costs falling by 40 to 60% and electrolyser costs by 88 to 94% by 2050. These are model assumptions, not realised savings or hydrogen buyer-price forecasts. Its Figure 5 compares production pathways, but exact future values have not been inferred from the artwork. Biomethane reforming needs its own feedstock, conversion, emissions and delivery assumptions; this electrolysis range must not substitute for a BioH₂ quotation.
- Electricity supply and electrolyser utilisation
- Capital cost, financing and plant scale
- Compression, storage and distance to the buyer
DCCEEW: National Hydrogen Strategy 2024. Objective 1: production-cost outlook and Figure 5; published 13 September 2024. Checked 13 October 2026.
DCCEEW: Growing Australia's hydrogen industry, updated 30 January 2026Frequently asked questions
Does 99.99% purity guarantee fuel-cell suitability?
No. Individual contaminants and the applicable customer or standard specification must also be satisfied.
Is biohydrogen interchangeable with biomethane?
No. Their equipment, energy, infrastructure and customer requirements differ.
Can a modular plant supply green iron?
It depends on the industrial process, scale, quality, reliability and delivered cost. Assess actual requirements rather than assuming a fit.
Sources & References
- Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), The Hazer Process: Commercial Demonstration Plant
Publication: Date not verified
Observation period: Project overview carries a 3 June 2022 update date and links to later reports. Checked 10 October 2026. Distinct methane-pyrolysis demonstration; not a conventional steam-reforming cost benchmark.
Relevant page / section: Claim-level locator not yet verified
Last link / title verification: 2026-10-11
Publisher link checked; individual claims, costs and regulatory applicability still require review.
Project overview carries a 3 June 2022 update date and links to later reports. Checked 10 October 2026. Distinct methane-pyrolysis demonstration; not a conventional steam-reforming cost benchmark.
- International Organization for Standardization, ISO 14687:2025, Hydrogen fuel quality
Publication: Date not verified
Observation period: 2025 edition; checked 10 October 2026. Use applicable specifications/customer requirements; nominal purity is not complete compliance evidence.
Relevant page / section: Claim-level locator not yet verified
Last link / title verification: Not verified (check attempted 2026-10-11)
Verification incomplete, do not rely on this reference for an investment or approval decision.
2025 edition; checked 10 October 2026. Use applicable specifications/customer requirements; nominal purity is not complete compliance evidence.
- Shelby Bioenergy, Shelby’s National Renewable Gas Policy consultation response
Publication: 2026-10
Observation period: October 2026
Relevant page / section: Supplied company position
Last link / title verification: Not verified
Company position / supplied material, not independent evidence.
Proposals and scenarios, not adopted policy or market offers.
- Shelby Bioenergy, Shelby research and calculator methodology
Publication: 2026-10
Observation period: Research cut-off 7 October 2026
Relevant page / section: Research and calculation controls
Last link / title verification: Not verified
Company position / supplied material, not independent evidence.
Selected sources, not a national asset census.