Accelerate Magazine: Freedome Energy to Pave the Way into a Better Geopolitical Environment

Energy Cluster

Energy Cluster News – Freedom Energy to Pave the Way into a Better Geopolitical Environment

By Florence Lindhaus, German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce

The Russian war is jumpstarting the bilateral green hydrogen industry, building on many a positive development in both countries

Sadly, the Russian war in the Ukraine paints dependence on petrostates in a very grim light. How many wars could be prevented – past, present, and future – if energy was not something we dig but something we harvest? And even better: something we deal very carefully with? Renewable energy is the name of the game, and green hydrogen is giving it a time and space option. Australia has the potential to produce 27 times more energy than it needs (ANU) and has all the infrastructure in place to ship some of it as green hydrogen to countries that haven’t got the same renewable energy resources, such as Germany.

It doesn’t, therefore, come as a surprise that the first MoUs are emerging between Australian company Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) and German energy company E.ON or German chemical company Covestro and German-French aviation company Airbus for the offtake of green hydrogen. Andrew Forrest has coined the fitting term “Freedom Energy” for renewable energy from non-authoritarian countries, and Germany is certainly gearing up to import those by massively investing in new gas terminals and pipelines. In light of the war in the Ukraine, the German government committed to 80% renewable power (some 600 terawatt-hours) in the mix by 2030 and almost 100% green electricity by 2035, a substantial proportion of it to be collected from offshore wind.

Australia is also ramping up in the offshore sector, with Victoria making bold announcements not only to cover large amounts of its energy demand through offshore wind, but also partnering with neighbouring NSW to create the Hume Hydrogen Freeway with at least four hydrogen refueling stations and 25 hydrogen-powered long-haul heavy freight vehicles.

The governments of both countries have committed to a research funding programme, HyGate, that had the Energy Cluster involved in facilitating a number of matches between academia and industry.

A German delegation, including the Federal Minister for Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, packed their bags to fly to Australia. Many visits, as well as a reception the night before the AHC Conference in Adelaide on May 30, were scheduled.

The cluster also facilitated a delegation of German bioenergy companies seeking to speak to Australian counterparts to bolster this sector that is very important in Germany but still nascent in Australia.

Bioenergy, wind, solar, hydrogen, and batteries are all facets of the same game, as we can see in Australia; not only Mike Cannon-Brookes was offering to replace AGL’s Lidell coal plant with renewable energy, leveraging its existing transmission network and customer base, but coal mines and coal plants across the country are developing new ideas to utilise existing assets, ranging from waste food or noxious weeds to biochar, biomethane, or hydrogen, all the way to covering the land with solar panels and storing energy in underground shafts.

Green hydrogen gives renewable energy a time and space option (– store the energy for longer periods of time or move it across the seas).

Another area where both countries can benefit from each other’s expertise is energy efficiency; partnering with the EEC and the Australia-Germany Energy Partnership, a delegation to Germany is underway, a study is in the works, and an event involving a State minister is scheduled. German companies have a lot to contribute with insulation, heat pumps, efficient heating etc. but can also learn from Australia and its NABERS standard.

At our Growth Summit (March 24, ICC Sydney), we were privileged to have Dr Fiona Simon, AHC, James Veale, Green Token SAP, and Andrea Galt, Woodside Energy, debate what it takes for hydrogen to take off while a popup Space panel discussed novel and emission-free propulsion of spacecraft. The key takeaway was the urge Australia seems to be missing in the energy transition and the incredible potential these two countries have for crosspollination. There was, however, an element of cross-pollination and a lot of admiration for Australian heavy industry – the likes of explosives company Orica or aluminum smelters like Boyne and Alumina – in our Gladstone delegation trip, where over 30 members of the AHK had a first-hand look at the world’s fourth largest coal exporting terminal, heavy industry hub and “hydrogen capital of the world”, as it is gearing up to be. Timing tied in with the GEA expo at the end of April for maximum benefit, and meals were sponsored by TIQ and SMA (many thanks!) – the latter being shared on a fancy dinner cruise.