WA government moves to attract hydrogen electrolyser manufacturing

While details of the actual study are scarce, the Western Australian government seems to be following Queensland’s lead in trying to entice, or at least lay the groundwork, for electrolyser manufacturers to set up shop in the state, with hydrogen minister Bill Johnston encouraging any interested parties to apply to the state’s Investment Attraction Fund.

The state’s announcement is fairly opaque, providing a link to the state’s public knowledge sharing reports rather than the study itself. It does, however, mention UK electrolyser manufacturer ITM Power and Germany’s Linde Engineering – presumably the international companies the government said it had partnered with to create the study.

According to the WA government, a 2 GW per annum electrolyser manufacturing facility in the state has the potential to create around 200 direct engineering technician jobs and 1000 indirect jobs. Moreover, it would inject $200 million per annum to the local economy through associated services.

The new industry would also support the creation of around 18,000 new jobs during the construction phase for new hydrogen projects and up to 2500 ongoing maintenance jobs, the state government said.

“The report also suggests a range of policy interventions to facilitate the development of an electrolyser manufacturing industry in the state,” the announcement notes, though no further details were provided.

“Developing a global-scale electrolyser manufacturing industry in WA will enable the state to better position itself in the renewable hydrogen supply chain,” Hydrogen Industry Minister Bill Johnston said.

“An update of WA’s Renewable Hydrogen Strategy is currently under way, which will consider options to explore how gaps in the supply chain can be addressed.”

“Companies seeking to pursue electrolyser manufacturing opportunities in WA are encouraged to apply for grant funding under the next round of the Investment Attraction Fund,” Johnston added.