The New South Wales Government has allocated $24 million from the Regional New South Wales – Business Case and Strategy Development Fund to support the Committee for the Hunter and the Hunter Hydrogen Task Force in turning their ideas for a Hunter hydrogen industry into a reality.
New South Wales Member for Upper Hunter, Dave Layzell, said the Fund will provide backing to enable the Committee for the Hunter and the Hunter Hydrogen Taskforce to engage experts to investigate new project ideas and assist with funding applications.
“I thank the Committee for inviting me to participate in the New H2 Symposium to announce that the Business Case and Strategy Development Fund will contribute $243,944 towards the Hunter Hydrogen Infrastructure Master Plan,” Mr Layzell said.
“The Hunter Valley is a powerhouse of the New South Wales economy and as we restructure for the future I want the Upper Hunter to be an active participant in the clean energy industry.”
Deputy New South Wales Premier and Minister for Regional New South Wales, Paul Toole, said the regions are bursting with people full of ideas with the potential to create jobs, boost economies and attract investment.
“Any successful project starts with evidence-based planning and this program will help take great ideas and concepts a step closer to reality, benefiting entire communities,” Mr Toole said.
“This is about helping make business cases stand out and be more competitive, it will help break down project costs, outline how projects will benefit the community and identify any challenges that need to be met.”
The Committee for the Hunter and the Hunter Hydrogen Task Force welcome the New South Wales Government grant to develop a regional hydrogen infrastructure masterplan.
Chief Executive Officer at Committee for the Hunter, Alice Thompson, said the grant expedites key priorities identified in the Hunter Hydrogen Roadmap and State ambitions in the New South Wales Hydrogen Strategy, including shared infrastructure and workforce development.
“Hydrogen leverages the Hunter’s strengths and capabilities, promising new opportunities for growth and jobs as our economy changes,” Ms Thompson said.
“It promises to position the Hunter as a global centre for hydrogen, exporting our clean energy, services, and products to the world.
“The Hunter Hydrogen Hub will only be competitive through collaboration.
“The grant provides valuable resourcing to create enduring partnerships between hydrogen project leads, energy experts, national research institutes, tertiary education and Government to seize the opportunity offered by growing demand for hydrogen and green manufacturing.”
The Regional New South Wales – Business Case and Strategy Development Fund is part of the $3.3 billion Regional Growth Fund and will help create a pipeline of investment-ready projects for future funding opportunities.
