The Western Australian Government has launched an updated renewable hydrogen strategy, aiming to position the state as a global renewable energy powerhouse.
The Western Australian Renewable Hydrogen Strategy has a strong focus on producing green products, highlighting the role renewable hydrogen can play in minerals processing.
The new strategy is part of the State Government’s plan to turn Western Australia into a renewable energy powerhouse, diversifying the economy and setting the state up for the future.
The Western Australian Government said that a locally based renewable hydrogen industry has the potential to add billions to the state’s economy as well as thousands of additional jobs per year.
The Western Australian Renewable Hydrogen Strategy 2024–30 focuses on:
- Investing in infrastructure and activating hubs
- Speeding up approvals and enhancing social licence
- Supporting strategic green ammonia and green metals projects
The strategy was developed in consultation with key stakeholders and incorporates feedback to increase focus on approvals, infrastructure and land, market incentives, delivering value for regional communities and Aboriginal people, and refreshed goals and targets.
The Western Australian Government said that since 2017, it has allocated more than $5.4 billion to support the energy transition, including new generation, transmission and storage across Western Australia’s major electricity networks – the South West Interconnected System and North West Interconnected System.
Western Australian Premier, Roger Cook, said, “We’re getting on with our plan to turn Western Australia into a global renewable energy powerhouse, and we know renewable hydrogen will play a role in our green energy future.
“The hydrogen landscape has changed significantly over the past five years with advancements in technology and new national and international policy settings.”
Mr Cook said the refreshed strategy reflects the new landscape, with a major focus on using renewable hydrogen to produce the green materials the world needs to transition to net zero – like green ammonia and green iron.
“We’re delivering on what industry needs to make renewable hydrogen a reality – slashing red tape and streamlining approvals, and investing to unlock our strategic industrial areas.”
For more information on the updated strategy, see https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/western-australias-renewable-hydrogen-strategy-2024-2030