GREEN HYDROGEN Widespread consensus exists over the need to ratchet up Australia’s activities in green hydrogen to stay ahead of the game and claim its rightful place as a powerhouse. Developments are afoot: local investments in hydrogen technologies tally around $36 billion and around 35 significant hydrogen projects are earmarked or underway. But how fast can they be delivered and what policies offer support?
WWF-AUSTRALIA RECENTLY RELEASED Energising the Economy
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S
with Renewable Hydrogen, explaining Australia’s ability to play a leading role in the global renewable hydrogen industry. Hydrogen Australia was among the leading players in renewable hydrogen endorsing the findings. The paper details the extent of exports, job creation, and trade partnerships that would arise from investment into renewable hydrogen, enabling Australia to snare a significant portion of the potential $700 billion a year industry. “But our experts are sending a clear message: we must act now,” Nicky Ison said. “Countries in Europe and Asia are currently gaining an edge, aided by support from their governments. “To grow the scale needed to bring renewable hydrogen down the cost curve, we should start with decarbonising the existing hydrogen industry. “Hydrogen is already an established industry and currently used globally to manufacture fertiliser, explosives and other chemicals and commodities and accounts for 1 per cent of global carbon pollution.” The WWF has been advocating for the acceleration of renewable hydrogen as part of its Renewable Recovery campaign, including the development of Hydrogen Hubs, as recently announced by the Federal Government. www.wwf.org.au
PUTTING THE SPOTLIGHT ON HYDROGEN
In late
September GFG Alliance’s Sanjeev Gupta cast hydrogen and steel as
IMAGE BY MICHI-NORDLICHT FROM PIXABAY
“a marriage made in heaven” that provides the best catalyst for a carbon-free future. Airing his candid views in a News Corp publication he wrote “I’m excited about hydrogen’s potential because I’m planning on using an enormous amount of it. Hydrogen is going to revolutionise the steel industry and in return, steel can be the key enabler for hydrogen and help to drive its widespread adoption.” He says the new, green industrial revolution is “going to happen more quickly than most anticipate – and a decarbonised steel industry
28 SUMMER 2020
2020 Technology Investment Roadmap has listed “clean” hydrogen and energy storage investment as priorities and reiterated the goal to deliver clean hydrogen under $2 per kilogram. Funding will be provided for research and development into hydrogen-related technologies and infrastructure and a directive issued to the CEFC to allocate $300 million in funding for hydrogen technology development. The government has pledged $70 million for a hydrogen hub and will encourage investment from private sector industry and state governments for the establishment of an export hub as part of a $1.9 billion plan to focus on “future technologies” to reduce emissions.
is going to be its foundation”. Gupta went on to explain how hydrogen can replace coking coal as a reducing agent to produce sponge iron, emitting water rather than carbon. The billionaire industrialist has already devoted significant resources to drive transformations in Greensteel at the Whyalla Steelworks in South Australia. Data suggests global demand for steel will double in three decades, and currently it accounts for nine per cent of carbon dioxide emissions. “This revolution will happen – it is just a question of where. Australia’s opportunity to be a world leader in hydrogen and green steel is now, but it has to grab it… we need the right policy and financial framework to incentivise investment and joint ventures with technical partners in long-term hydrogen projects,” Gupta said. He noted carbon-based industrial revolutions of past eras have delivered many benefits around the world, but also the legacy of climate change, and said “The next industrial revolution will be based on green hydrogen and it is about to happen.” GFG Alliance’s Sanjeev Gupta
