The Queensland Government’s $19 million Queensland Hydrogen Industry Strategy 2019–2024 has been released.
Whether it be produced from biomass or made using renewable energy sources, hydrogen is a clean and flexible energy carrier that can help reduce carbon emissions from transport, power generation and industrial sectors.
The release of the Hydrogen Industry Strategy comes only a few days after Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with resources investment group Japan Oil, Gas and Metals Corp to include continued co-operation developing hydrogen.
Today the Premier said that hydrogen has the potential to be Queensland’s next LNG, and a new source of highly-skilled jobs – especially in regional Queensland.
“In the Sixties it was the Space Race. This century is all about energy.”
“Queensland is at the forefront of hydrogen development. We aim to keep it that way,” she commented.
Queensland’s new hydrogen strategy focuses on supporting innovation, facilitating private investment, developing effective policy frameworks, building community awareness and facilitating skills development.
These five key areas were identified in consultation with researchers and the industry and confirmed through consultation on the Advancing Queensland’s hydrogen industry discussion paper.
Below are some of the key actions outlined in the Queensland Hydrogen Industry Strategy 2019–2024:
To support innovation:
- The Queensland Government will continue to engage with industry and researchers to understand what is required to foster innovation and ensure investment programs remain responsive to hydrogen industry development opportunities.
- Work with the Australian Government to identify innovative projects that align with the priorities and objectives of the Queensland Government, and assist eligible proponents to access federal funding opportunities such as the ARENA Research and Development Program.
To facilitate private sector investment:
- The Queensland Government will prepare an investor toolkit to assist private sector proponents with information on developing projects in Queensland.
- Provide project facilitation services (including investment facilitation and the application of the powers of the Coordinator-General) to eligible project proponents.
- Promote investment attraction opportunities to international partners through trade missions, international offices, support of inbound delegations, and presence at international hydrogen events.
- Work with researchers and the industry to identify and develop supply chain capability.
- Deliver the $15 million Hydrogen Industry Development Fund to facilitate private sector investment and leverage third-party funding.
To ensure an effective policy framework for sustainable development:
- The Government will evaluate and monitor Queensland’s regulatory environment and undertake reforms required to streamline the safe and sustainable development of the hydrogen industry.
- Support the development of the national hydrogen strategy by ensuring enough resources are allocated to deliver the State’s contribution to the six work streams.
- Support national initiatives that will create a regulatory framework that facilitates the safe and sustainable development of the industry, for example, standards and certification systems for renewable hydrogen.
To build community awareness and confidence:
- The Government will develop and promote hydrogen activities and opportunities in Queensland through communication with the community and attendance at events.
- Support demonstration projects that showcase the applications of hydrogen and raise community awareness about the safe and sustainable use of hydrogen.
To facilitate skills development for new technology:
- The Government will work with industry and the Manufacturing Skills Working Group to identify the training and skills required and develop a hydrogen skills plan.
- Work with the industry as it develops, to ensure that training and skills programs are responding to the emerging skills required for the manufacture and maintenance of hydrogen technologies.
- Ensure regulatory and first responder agencies are aware of emerging hydrogen-related uses and equipped with the knowledge and skills to ensure the safe and sustainable development of the industry.
Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, Cameron Dick, said that the state’s investment (through the $15 million industry development fund) will ensure the continued growth of a hydrogen industry in Queensland.
“Our five-year plan will help drive the development of an economically sustainable and competitive hydrogen industry in Queensland, creating more highly skilled jobs and export opportunities,” he said.
“The energy production from renewable hydrogen is something that has long been possible, however, conditions are now more favourable for this industry to develop locally,” the Minister added.
The Hydrogen Industry Development Fund will open on 1 July 2019. Further information (such as eligibility criteria and funding guidelines) will be available then.
More details on the Queensland Hydrogen Industry Strategy 2019-2024 can be found here.
