Australian govt boosts hydrogen hubs funding by USD 110m

The Australian government on Monday announced AUD 150 million (USD 110m/EUR 93m) in additional grant funding to help develop “clean” hydrogen hubs in regional Australia.

The additional funding will back two more locations under the Clean Hydrogen Industrial Hubs programme.

The size of the programme has now been increased to AUD 464 million, which the government is providing for the development of seven prospective hubs: Bell Bay in Tasmania, Darwin in Northern Territory, Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, Gladstone in Queensland, Latrobe Valley in Victoria, Hunter Valley in New South Wales, and Pilbara in Western Australia.

Project consortia will be able to get grants of up to AUD 3 million for feasibility and design work, and of up to AUD 70 million to implement projects. Applications will open in the coming weeks, according to the announcement.

The hydrogen hubs are intended to co-locate producers, users and exporters of the emerging fuel.

“Hydrogen hubs are crucial to realising the Morrison Government’s vision of making Australia a major global player in hydrogen production and exports by 2030,” said Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor.

“A thriving hydrogen sector will help Australia to achieve its emission-reduction goals while continuing to grow our economy and support existing industries,” the minister added.

(AUD 1 = USD 0.731/EUR 0.621)

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