WA’s renewable hydrogen industry will be boosted and positioned as a major producer, user and exporter of renewable hydrogen as part of the WA Recovery Plan.
9 initiatives worth $22 million will fuel WA’s renewable hydrogen industry and create jobs, and the Western Australian Renewable Hydrogen Strategy targets will be brought forward by a decade from 2040 to 2030.
This strategy aims to boost WA’s hydrogen industry across four areas – export, use in remotely located industries, blending in natural gas networks and use in fuel cell electric transport vehicles.
$5.7 million is being committed towards an Australian-first renewable energy microgrid in the Gascoyne town of Denham, using a new solar power system to produce hydrogen from water. The WA Government commitment is subject to ARENA’s final consideration.
$2 million has been allocated to FMG H2’s renewable hydrogen mobility project in the Pilbara, which will produce solar hydrogen for transport at Fortescue’s Christmas Creek iron ore mine, advancing vital decarbonisation technologies.
Another $1 million will be allocated towards ATCO’s hydrogen refueller project in Jandakot that will develop, deploy and operate the first green hydrogen refuelling station in WA.
The station will integrate with ATCO’s existing Clean Energy Innovation Hub in Jandakot, and service ATCO’s fleet of fuel cell electric cars and approved vehicles of other organisations.
The Jandakot H2-Fuel project is a key enabler to driving down the costs of refuelling infrastructure, and an opportunity to build the local skills and labour force required to support the industry.
An additional $5 million in funding will be allocated to the existing $10 million Renewable Hydrogen Fund for grants to support industry development.
Other initiatives in the WA Recovery Plan to boost the hydrogen industry include:
- $3 million for a regulatory reform package to undertake and support a local hydrogen industry
- $2.7 million to expand the Renewable Hydrogen Unit in the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation
- $1 million towards identifying locations suitable for hydrogen storage
- $1 million towards developing a detailed supply chain model that promotes hydrogen and identifies bottlenecks and limitations affecting the hydrogen export industry
- $600,000 to study blending hydrogen in the WA gas network and related technical, economic and regulatory implications.
For more information:
- visit WA Recovery Plan Initiatives
- see the $22 million investment to accelerate renewable hydrogen future media statement.
