Western Australia creates new fund to kickstart renewable hydrogen industry

Western Australia’s Labor state government has created a $50 million fund to help kick-start the state’s renewable hydrogen industry, as part of a $61.5 million spend on the world’s great new green hope.

The new fund, announced as a part of the McGowan government’s 2012-22 budget, will be used to stimulate local demand for renewable hydrogen in transport and industrial settings and to drive investment into the emerging sector.

The funding includes just under $1 million for four industry-led feasibility studies into renewable hydrogen projects across the state, including into the plans of BP Australia to transform the former Kwinana oil refinery into a Clean Fuels Hub.

Two of the feasibility studies will examine technologies and capabilities to support the transport of renewable hydrogen, including a study on the conversion of the Parmelia gas pipeline into a 100 per cent hydrogen pipeline.

Global Energy Ventures will receive $300,000 to evaluate the technical and commercial feasibility of exporting green hydrogen to the Asia-Pacific from the Gascoyne utilising a compressed hydrogen shipping solution.

More than $11 million will be directed towards plans to develop and upgrade infrastructure at the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area (SIA) to establish a major renewable hydrogen hub in the state’s Mid-West.

“Hydrogen offers incredible potential for our state, with the capacity to sit alongside iron ore or LNG as a major export commodity,” said WA premier Mark McGowan in comments on Tuesday.

“This $61.5 million initiative will attract investment, support work to grow a local hydrogen production industry and drive local demand for hydrogen – delivering local economic benefits and helping WA meet its emissions reductions targets.”

The state’s hydrogen minister, Alannah MacTiernan, said the funding would help get some of WA’s many proposed renewable production projects off the ground.

“Renewable hydrogen presents a big opportunity for industries right across WA to reduce their emissions and embrace a cleaner future, and our funding commitment to demand stimulation will help companies take that leap.”