Premier Peter Malinauskas makes first overseas trip to Japan and South Korea

Direct Tokyo-Adelaide flights – plus markets for “green iron” and hydrogen – are on the agenda for Peter Malinauskas’s first overseas trip as Premier.

Premier Peter Malinauskas will pursue hydrogen markets and investment in Japan and South Korea, including for “green iron”, in his first overseas trip as state leader.

The $593m hydrogen power station planned for Whyalla will be the centrepiece of talks with major firms including Hyundai, Kawasaki, Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries during the Premier’s six-day trade mission.

He also will meet with Japan Airlines to seek direct Adelaide-Tokyo flights.

In an interview with The Advertiser, Mr Malinauskas said his objectives were to seek investment in the Whyalla hydrogen project and forge export markets for its eventual product.

Peter Malinauskas will make his first overseas trip as Premier to South Korea and Japan. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Another was to export iron, a precursor to steel, labelled as green because it would be made using hydrogen produced with renewable energy.

“Green steel in Whyalla is critical. But as a first step, there’s also the possibility of producing green iron, which is produced using hydrogen locally but then exported for green steelmaking in other parts of the world,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“In places like both Japan and Korea, they have massive steel producing industries, but they are looking to decarbonise – they might be up for importing green iron, more than just green hydrogen.

“This could be a good result for South Australia too, because that means we’re not just exporting the commodity, we’re value-adding to the commodity before exporting it.”

Mr Malinauskas said he had chosen Japan and South Korea for his first overseas trip since winning power on March 19 because, along with Germany, they were the biggest global players in hydrogen and among the world’s top-ten economies.

Premier Peter Malinauskas with Energy and Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis, who will join him on the trip. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The Premier, who will attend 30 events and meetings from Sunday until October 14, will be joined by Energy and Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis and Trade and Investment Minister Nick Champion. He will be joined by federal Trade Minister Don Farrell at a South Korean critical minerals roundtable.

Mr Malinauskas will deliver a keynote address about SA’s global leadership in hydrogen at a Australia-Japan Business Council conference – the first in-person event of its kind since 2019.

He will meet with government ministers in both Japan and South Korea across portfolios including foreign affairs, environment, trade, industry and energy.