Gladstone in Queensland is set to be the renewable energy powerhouse of Australia, with hydrogen emerging as the “next LNG” (liquefied natural gas), Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.
“We backed and built the LNG pipeline which is now a $60 billion industry providing thousands of jobs to Gladstone,” she says.
“Now the world is looking to hydrogen I want them to get it from Queensland.”
Labor leader Bill Shorten, who has been touring Queensland in a pre-election pitch on board his “Bill Bus”, has committed the first of a $1 billion National Hydrogen Plan to Gladstone which is already well advanced in hydrogen research.
“My government attracted Northern Oil to Gladstone as part of our Advance Queensland Biofutures 10-year roadmap,” Palaszczuk says.
“Northern Oil is planning to produce bio-hydrogen.”
“Queensland’s significant renewable resources of solar and wind energy, combined with our existing gas pipeline infrastructure and port facilities, including Gladstone Port, provide us with a competitive advantage in the future production and export of hydrogen.”
The hope is that Queensland solar farms can be used to produce and ship hydrogen to the world, literally exporting its sunshine.
“In Queensland we are aiming to have some of the world’s first renewable hydrogen power exports – with Queensland sunshine – helping to power the Tokyo Olympics next year,” Palaszczuk says.
“This would place Queensland on the world stage as a leader in exporting renewable energy.”
While in Korea last year Palaszczuk met Hyundai representatives who are ready to start delivering hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for the Australian market later this year.
“These cars will not only run without any emissions, they will also actively clean the air,” she says.
“Car manufacturers including Toyota and Hyundai are responding to the policies in Germany, Japan, Korea and the United Kingdom to increase the uptake of zero emission vehicles.”
The Queensland Government’s hydrogen discussion paper has received strong interest from industry, universities and the community.
It will be releasing a strategy this year.
For Japan to meet its emissions reduction targets over the next 30 years there is demand for 125 gigawatts of hydrogen energy capacity from Queensland.
Hydrogen is needed to produce products for Queensland’s resources sector, for metals refining, for its agriculture sector and for biofuels.
