South Australia’s Hydrogen Action Plan has been released, including a commitment of $1 million in funding for a study to identify locations for renewable hydrogen production and export infrastructure.
The announcement was made to hundreds of global experts at the opening of the International Conference on Hydrogen Safety at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
South Australian Premier, Steven Marshall, said the export of hydrogen presents significant economic opportunity for the state.
“We welcome new industries that build on our natural advantages, such as hydrogen, and believe that it fits well into our state’s burgeoning enterprise culture and start-up sector.
“This initiative will drive the export of hydrogen from South Australia both interstate and overseas, bolstering our economy, and presenting future job opportunities.
State Minister for Energy and Mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, said that the plan builds upon the state’s leading role in hydrogen and renewable energy.
“This initiative fits in perfectly with our plan to help deliver more reliable, more affordable and cleaner energy for our state.
“Our Government is also drafting key chapters of the National Hydrogen Strategy on behalf of COAG Energy Council with Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel.
“South Australia is also a member of the Japan based Green Ammonia Consortium.
“It’s likely that nowhere else in the world is as well positioned as South Australia to produce, consume and export 100 per cent green hydrogen.
“Some of our longest-standing and closest trading partners are signalling that they will need hydrogen to make their energy transitions over the coming decades, and we want to make the most of that growth opportunity by becoming a hub for the export of renewable energy.”
The Hydrogen Action plan sets out twenty key actions across five key areas to help scale-up renewable hydrogen production for export and domestic consumption, and contribute to the South Australian Growth State Plan being developed by the Marshall Liberal Government.
It will help underpin a safe and secure export sector, as well as accelerate hydrogen into the South Australian domestic economy.
The Action Plan can be found here.
