Hydrogen

Tasmania has committed to being 100% renewable by 2022 and remains well on track to meet this target ahead of schedule. But the island state says it is well placed to set a more ambitious goal, which would see it double its renewable production and help mainland Australia reduce its emissions.

The Tasmanian Government has announced a $50 million investment package toward its green hydrogen ambitions over the next 10 years.

The traditional coal and gas hub of Gladston is turning into a green hydrogen mecca with two new ambitious projects in the pipeline. The city has been selected to host a gigawatt-scale green hydrogen and ammonia development and a gas injection facility to blend renewable hydrogen into its natural gas network.

The ARC Research Hub for Integrated Energy Storage Solutions has a broad research mandate as it looks for innovative energy storage solutions for the energy transition, but some of the nation’s finest minds are now working on them together.

An Australian-first solar to hydrogen-based microgrid for the World Heritage Protected Daintree Rainforest is another step closer to reality this week after Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch revealed the feasibility study funded by the Federal Government last year is “on track”.

Angus Taylor has announced major recipients of government funding intended to “ensure affordable and reliable energy for commercial and industrial customers” in Central and Far North Queensland.

A new report from Hydrogen Council predicts that the cost of renewable hydrogen production will fall drastically by up to 60% over the coming decade due to the declining costs of renewable electricity generation and the scaling up of electrolyzer manufacturing. Thanks to its optimal renewable resources, Australia will be among the countries most favorably placed to contribute to the development of the hydrogen economy.

Peter Gutwein is the new Premier of Tasmania and the first Tasmanian Liberal Minister for Climate Change. The Premier, who has a history of rebelliousness to the party line, seeks to lead Tasmania to a renewable energy future.

Curtin University research that aims to develop a new way of producing, storing and exporting green hydrogen from Australian resources, UNSW Sydney’s efforts to develop novel cathode coating materials towards more durable and powerful energy storage devices and Monash University’s investigation into phase change materials for wind and solar energy storage are among 18 new research collaborations supported by funding through the Australian Research Council.

Australian and Japanese trade ministers met in Melbourne last week to sign a joint statement of cooperation. The agreement and collaboration between the two nations hopes to affirm Australia’s potential as a major exporter of hydrogen, with Japan as a key recipient.