FU T URE F UE L S
COLLABORATION KEY TO REALISING AUSTRALIA’S HYDROGEN POTENTIAL by Michelle Goldsmith, Contributing Editor, Utility Magazine
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t’s easy to get excited about hydrogen. With its potential as a clean, flexible, storable, portable and safe fuel source, hydrogen could transform Australia’s energy sector, accelerate emissions reductions and boost the economy. In fact, according to a 2019 Deloitte report, it could increase Australia’s GDP by up to $26 billion and provide 16,900 jobs by 2050.
BETTER TOGETHER A number of programs are currently underway to help realise Australia’s hydrogen potential, with federal, state and territory governments all releasing hydrogen strategies and allocating funding. According to Miranda Taylor, CEO of National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), effective industry collaboration, such as that fostered by the technology clusters, will be critical to success. “NERA’s mandate is to create the
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connections and collaboration needed to support the growth of advanced manufacturing of clean energy technologies, and industry-led clusters are central to this. “We’ve identified technology clusters as the area where NERA can add most value, and they’re central to our strategy for supporting the commercialisation and scaling of the emerging technologies that are needed to support the production and uses of hydrogen.” “Australia already has an abundance of research-focused programs – including cooperative research centres, hubs, CSIRO and industry-led projects – plus more than 60 demonstration or pilot projects, and an array of programs that target individual small businesses. “However, decades of international experience has shown that small businesses operating in the same industry sectors and value chains can, by clustering, accelerate the
UTILITY • MAY 2021
commercialisation and scaling of technologies, drive faster skills and knowledge transfer, and encourage novel ways of combining innovation and technology solutions. “We need a far more coordinated way of developing Australia’s hydrogen capabilities and capacities, as well as promoting these to domestic markets and, importantly, to potential global customers.” It’s intended that NERA’s hydrogen clusters will build a collaborative, innovative ecosystem and coordinate the relationships and action needed to support the growth of Australia’s hydrogen industry and technology value chains. Ms Taylor continued: “Australia wants to export more than just hydrogen molecules; we want to be exporters of higher value technologies, skills and knowledge. “I think NERA’s role in creating connections has been fundamental.
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