Region to receive hydrogen cluster as part of $100,000 project

The project involves investigating areas where local businesses and the region can benefit from hydrogen energy and exploring other renewable opportunities.

TSBE CEO Ali Davenport said it is exciting for the region to be part of a globally significant hydrogen industry that could create thousands of new jobs and increase Australia’s GDP by up to $26 billion.

THE future for renewable energy in Toowoomba looks bright after it was announced that a hydrogen technology cluster will be established in the region as part of a $100,000 project.

In partnership with Federal Government funded not-for-profit organisation National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), the Queensland Government has committed $100,000 to the Toowoomba and Gladstone regions.

The Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TBSE) and Gladstone Engineering Alliance (GEA) will each receive $50,000 to fund the creation of two new hydrogen clusters in both areas.

TSBE chief executive officer Ali Davenport said Toowoomba, the Western Downs and Maranoa were strong contenders in the energy space, making the region a great fit for the project.

“We’re pretty much the energy capital of Queensland … one of the major things about producing green hydrogen is that you have to produce it with green energy and we have so many renewable energy projects either underway, completed or in the approval stage,” Ms Davenport said.

“At the moment across Toowoomba, Western Downs and Maranoa, there’s about 22 solar farms with development approval.

“Our region has a really strong footprint in the renewable energy space so that’s why we could potentially be one of the areas in Australia that is generating that green energy that can help with producing hydrogen.”

The CEO said while it is too early to determine what opportunities may lay ahead, Australia’s market value is estimated to see a growth of $26 billion and create thousands of jobs as a result.

TSBE will use the funding to investigate areas where local businesses and the region can benefit from hydrogen energy as well as explore other renewable opportunities.

“Hydrogen is a good potential opportunity for us but we really need to understand what those opportunities are and that’s what this project is all about,” Ms Davenport said.

“It’s really about understanding how the region will benefit … there may be reasons why we can’t produce hydrogen but maybe we can produce some of the components to make it, so we really need to understand fully what this opportunity looks like for us.

“It’s still a new industry but we know hydrogen can potentially be used in transport and for industrial purposes such as manufacturing and it’s a priority sector for low carbon energy opportunities in Australia.”

NERA chief executive officer Miranda Taylor said the announcement shows the importance the state places on hydrogen energy and Australia’s capacity for its technologies.

She said the new additions will be linked with the already established H2Q cluster in Brisbane.

“These two new Queensland clusters will be able to work together with the existing H2Q cluster in Brisbane as well as the other regional clusters in H2TCA to ensure long-term local cohesion and sustainable capability across the emerging hydrogen value chain … Australia wants to be exporting more than just molecules,” Ms Taylor said.

“(It) is a crucial step for Queensland in building the skills, capacities and commercialisation opportunities necessary to unlock Australia’s enormous potential to create a globally competitive hydrogen industry that according to a 2019 Deloitte report could create thousands of jobs and increase Australia’s gross domestic product by up to $26 billion.”

Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said the aim was to position Queensland as the hydrogen technology leader, innovator and exporter.

“Backing clusters in Gladstone and Toowoomba will drive the development of Queensland’s hydrogen supply chain in a way that delivers jobs for regional Queenslanders in areas like components and materials manufacturing for this new technology,” Mr de Brenni said.

“With our Hydrogen Industry Strategy and the support of NERA the conversation has very much shifted from ‘if’ to ‘when’ commercially viable domestic and export-scale renewable hydrogen becomes a reality here in Queensland.”

The initiative is part of the Queensland Government’s Hydrogen Industry Strategy and follows the national network of 13 clusters which were unveiled in February.