Australia aims for hydrogen leadership position

The Australian government said September 20 it set its sights on becoming a global leader in hydrogen development with a net increase in developmental spending.

Prime minister Scott Morrison in a joint statement with Angus Taylor, the minister of energy and emissions reduction, said the government committed to spending nearly US$110mn on top of its $870mn commitment to stimulate the domestic hydrogen industry.

“Hydrogen is a clean fuel of the future, and Australia will commercialise this technology by co-locating hydrogen production and industrial uses, and building on the infrastructure and workforces of regional areas,” the statement read.

The joint statement followed a September 16 announcement that Japanese refiner ENEOS signed a preliminary agreement with Australian metals group Fortescue Future Industries to study green hydrogen developments.

Morrison said the new financial commitments would support the development of seven regional hydrogen hubs. Government support, he said, would help scale up hydrogen developments to the point that Australia could establish a new export industry.

“We are accelerating the development of our Australian hydrogen industry and it is our ambition to produce the cheapest clean hydrogen in the world, transforming our transport, energy, resources and manufacturing sectors,” he said.

Morrison’s government expects an Australian hydrogen industry could create 8,000 new jobs and generate more than $7.9bn annually in GDP by 2050.