Two new hydrogen platforms launch to couple industry with customers

Share

Two new hydrogen platforms have launched in Australia, linking future hydrogen producers with consumers in a bid to kickstart Australia’s industry. HyCapability, the work of National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), will presumably map projects of every colour of the hydrogen rainbow, while the other, New South Wales’ dazzlingly named ‘hydrogen collaboration platform’ seems more focussed on the development of its two green hydrogen hubs in the Hunter and Illawarra regions.

HyCapability

Developed by federally funded NERA and Hydrogen Technology Cluster Australia, HyCapability is a free, online, searchable platform.

NERA says its platform aims to grow the hydrogen industry across the whole value chain, promote Australian hydrogen-related businesses to domestic and international markets, and create a baseline understanding of the country’s hydrogen industry.

“Australia is uniquely positioned to become a world leader in niche technologies and services that support the fast-emerging hydrogen industry. We just need to continue to seize every opportunity to showcase our capabilities, capability and experience to the global market,” NERA’s CEO Miranda Taylor said.

NERA’s HyCapability media release bares no mention of green or renewable hydrogen, and given the government’s championing of the oxymoronic “clean hydrogen” (hydrogen produced with fossil fuels), it seems highly likely the platform does not exclusively list renewable producers.

NSW hydrogen collaboration platform

Launched on Monday by state environment minister Matt Kean, the NSW hydrogen collaboration platform seems to focus on linking emerging hydrogen producers with industrial energy users especially in the state’s two future hydrogen hubs: Port Kembla in the southern Illawarra region and the Hunter, in the state’s north.

“Green hydrogen will play a massive role in our future economic prosperity and decarbonising our economy,” Kean said in a statement on Monday. “We know that the best way to make green hydrogen commercially viable in Australia and NSW is to get to scale as quickly as possible. We also know our hydrogen hubs have the potential to become clean manufacturing powerhouses and we need to move fast, but that challenge is too big for one business alone.”

“That is why we are bringing decision-makers and investors who want to deploy hydrogen into their businesses and industries together to help deliver hydrogen in a way that will drive scale, reduce costs, focus innovation and grow our workforce capabilities.”

Part of the state’s New Zero Industry and Innovation Program, the NSW government has committed $750 million to reducing emissions, targeting especially industrial emissions. So far, $70 million has been set aside to develop its two green hydrogen hubs, which are both located in coal industry strongholds, with access to key export infrastructure and major industrial users, like BlueScope steel.

BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks is still the largest of the company’s global operations, where currently 2.6 million tonnes of raw steel are produced each year.

Image: Bluescope

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.