Australia plans three new Hydrogen hubs

The South Australian Government has launched its hydrogen prospectus, which outlines the plan for three hydrogen hubs to boost South Australia’s position as a leader in global clean hydrogen production and exportation.

The three hubs are located at Port Bonython, Port Adelaide and Cape Hardy/Port Spencer.

Just one of the hydrogen hubs could at least double the current installed capacity of solar and wind farms in South Australia.

South Australian Minister for Energy and Mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, said the prospectus shows that South Australia’s world class wind and solar resources can underpin our international competitiveness as an exporter of clean hydrogen to Asia and other regions.

“Hydrogen is shaping up as a game-changer in the fight against climate change and our aim is to get the cost down so that it’s a commercially attractive option for heavy transport, power generation and use by industry,” Mr van Holst Pellekaan said.

“This prospectus reveals that South Australia can become a national and international exporter of clean power, while achieving the goal of net-100 per cent renewable energy.

“The hub at Port Bonython in the Upper Spencer Gulf could export industrial-scale green hydrogen around Whyalla and Port Augusta.

The Minister launched the Hydrogen Export Modelling Tool and Prospectus during the State Government’s Clean Energy Month webinars.

“This is a key step in our plan to make South Australia a consumer and exporter of clean hydrogen,” Mr van Holst Pellekaan said.

“This Prospectus and tool builds on the government’s Hydrogen Action Plan, which was released at the International Conference on Hydrogen safety in September 2019.”

South Australia already has Australia’s largest electrolyser at Hydrogen Park SA at Tonsley.

“This new Prospectus and modelling tool cements our credentials as a world-class place to do business and leading renewable hydrogen producers and suppliers to the world,” Mr van Holst Pellekaan said.