The announcement by the Federal Government of extra grants funding and the expansion of the shot list for a network of clean hydrogen hubs has not surprisingly drawn praise from the Australian Hydrogen Council (AHC) .
The announcement by the Morrison Government regarding the extra grants funding and the plans for the national network of hydrogen hubs is a major step forward to future zero emission vehicle and industrial operations which could make Australia a key player in the global hydrogen market.
The CEO of the AHC, Dr Fiona Simon, said the announcement of the additional $150 million in grants funding underlines that the Government is serious about investing in Australia’s hydrogen future.
“Committing grant funding of $464m to support feasibility studies and construction is another important step forward,” Dr Simon said.
“It’s certainly a vote of confidence in the industry and we hope there’s more to come.
“There’s no doubt that Australia has the renewable energy resources, the technical skills, and the track record with international partners to become a global hydrogen leader.
“Grant funding is an important part of the bigger picture.
Dr Simon said the decision to increase the number of hubs from five to seven is good news for jobs and getting the industry to scale as hubs drive collaboration and shared benefit.
“Globally, hubs are considered vital to establish scale in clean hydrogen,” Dr Simon said.
“We now await broader planning and regulatory architecture being put into place to enable hydrogen to reach commercial scale,” Dr Simon concluded.
The Australian Hydrogen Council has positioned itself as the peak representative body for the Australian hydrogen industry and includes some of Australia’s leading corporations across fuel, energy, mining, industrial, automotive and even banking, with both ANZ and NAB members of the Council.
