PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Queensland-based renewable energy generator CleanCo has joined Sumitomo Corporation and its partners on the development of a hydrogen industry in Gladstone.
Sumitomo earlier this year inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with partners Gladstone Ports Corporation, Gladstone Regional Council, CQUniversity Australia and Australian Gas Infrastructure Group, to develop a hydrogen ecosystem in Gladstone.
Sumitomo aims to materialise a hydrogen ecosystem in conducting a feasiblity study covering the entire hydrogen supply chain and determining the best configuration for hydrogen production and demand creation including decarbonization of the local gas infrastrcutre, mobility and any other related application in this Gladstone region.
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said the agreement between Sumitomo and CleanCo was another piece in the development of the Queensland renewable hydrogen ecosystem and the decent, secure jobs it is creating for Queenslanders.
“Queensland’s plan for economic recovery from Covid-19 means investing in renewables and hydrogen as well as supporting our resources industry,” De Brenni said.
“As a government we established CleanCo to drive the energy transformation, providing reliable, competitively-priced, low-emission energy to the market and to ensure that Queensland is running on 50% renewable energy by 2030.
“This agreement will support that goal with hydrogen set to be a major player in our energy mix, creating jobs and opportunities particularly in regional Queensland.
“With agreements with Fortescue Future Industries to manufacture electrolysers in Gladstone, projects underway in on the Western Downs, a feasibility study into manufacturing renewable ammonia in Brisbane and our continued support for hydrogen in Townsville and other regional centres, this is further proof of Queensland’s hydrogen superiority.
“These are initiatives that will decarbonise Queensland industry and re-industrialise the nation – and that enables more investment and equals more jobs.”
CleanCo chairperson Jacqui Walters said the Gladstone MoU continues CleanCo’s focus on achieving Queensland’s energy transformation goals, both through competitive renewable energy projects and helping to develop our emergent hydrogen industry.
“In Queensland, we have access to abundant renewable energy sources to support a robust hydrogen industry. The plans for Gladstone will support our work in developing all elements of the renewable supply chain right here in Queensland, for Queenslanders.
“Queensland already has the right skills and the technology. Partnerships like this one ensure we are using these to power domestic demand and to drive our global competitiveness."
Sumitomo COO David Wilson said the company was looking at establishing a hydrogen industry that will support Central Queensland industries to move closer to their decarbonisation goals.
“We welcome CleanCo joining us in this exciting new industry for Queensland as we believe production of commercial scale quantities of hydrogen in Gladstone stands to benefit a number of industries including heavy freight, green chemicals production and mineral processing.
“But we are also looking at the future export possibilities for hydrogen, including to our Asian partners, as the world seeks cleaner energy sources.”