Australian Government Commits $288m To Hydrogen Hub

The Australian Government has confirmed that $288m will be allocated to Tasmania and South Australia to develop hydrogen hubs. Hydrogen Industry Leaders look at what the support will enable.

With the support, the Bell Bay region of Tasmania will be developed into a hydrogen hub with the help of $70m from the federal government.

According to the Australian Government, the area includes an advanced manufacturing zone, access to renewable energy, appropriate infrastructure, water availability, and port access to export the clean energy carrier.

This could enable the rapid scaling of the Tasmanian hydrogen industry, but it could allow the area to become a leading region in the Australian hydrogen market.

The Tasmanian Liberal Government has said that the island is also leading the area for several renewable technologies in the nation, including green hydrogen production and its integration.

In addition to this, $218m will be used to develop a hydrogen hub in Port Bonython in South Australia. With access to multiple renewable energy zones, the state-owned site has over 2,000 hectares of available land and access to an existing deep-water port comprising a 2.4km long jetty.

Due to this, the port has been identified as an export hub for both green and blue hydrogen during the development of South Australia’s hydrogen export modelling tool that enables companies to model the cost of producing and exporting hydrogen from South Australia.

CEO of the Australian Hydrogen Council, Dr Fiona Simon, said: “This will be a real shot in the arm for both states’ employment and exports prospects.

“Continuing collaboration by the States and Territories and the Commonwealth is now an imperative.

“We look forward to developing a regulatory framework and national standards to put the hydrogen economy on a commercial footing.”