Hydrogen industry development

Hydrogen is a clean, renewable fuel that can be used in transport, power supply and a range of industrial processes. It’s already key for a range of industries that provide vital inputs into a range of manufacturing processes and our mining and agricultural sectors.

Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of sources including renewables such as solar, wind and biomass.

Queensland Hydrogen Industry Strategy

We’re supporting the development of a sustainable hydrogen industry in Queensland. To help do this, we’ve released the Queensland Hydrogen Industry Strategy 2019-2024 ( 3.4 MB).

The strategy focuses on:

• supporting innovation
• facilitating private sector investment
• ensuring an effective policy framework
• building community awareness and confidence
• facilitating skills development for new technology.

Queensland Hydrogen Industry Development Fund

As part of the strategy, we established the Hydrogen Industry Development Fund (HIDF) to drive investment and accelerate development of hydrogen projects in Queensland.

A first round of funding under the program closed in 2019, resulting in four projects being funded. The approved projects are:

• Australian Gas Networks Limited - up to $1.78 million to build a renewable hydrogen production facility and undertake a gas blending trial of up to 10% hydrogen into the Gladstone City gas distribution network.
• Jilrift Pty Limited - up to $0.94 million to build a renewable hydrogen plant and demonstrate use of low-pressure hydride remote power systems at its eco-camps within the Spicers Resorts Scenic Rim trail.
• Sun Metals Corporation - up to $5 million for integration of renewable hydrogen into potential applications including remote area power, transport and heavy industry.
• University of Queensland - up to $4.85 million to build a renewable hydrogen plant and refuelling facility to service inter-campus hydrogen buses between St Lucia and Gatton.

In late 2020, the Queensland Government committed a further $10 million for hydrogen industry development activities.

Round 2 grant applications closed at 5 pm 2 June 2021.

Applicants will be contacted directly regarding the outcomes of their application.

Hydrogen development for planning scheme drafting

Guidance for local governments ( 2.5 MB)  to help ensure local planning schemes are drafted to appropriately support a sustainable hydrogen industry in Queensland have been prepared.

Local governments play an effective role supporting the growth of the hydrogen industry in Queensland as well as the National Hydrogen Strategy.

Queensland Hydrogen Projects

This interactive map provides information about renewable hydrogen projects in Queensland. A range of other projects are still confidential, and the mapper will be regularly updated as projects become public.

Queensland Hydrogen Investor Toolkit

As part of the strategy, the government committed to ‘Prepare an investor toolkit to assist private sector proponents with information on developing projects in Queensland’. The Queensland Hydrogen Investor Toolkit ( 2.6 MB) has been prepared to assist investors with project planning for hydrogen developments in Queensland. The toolkit includes useful contacts to assist with your project and will be regularly updated as new information is gathered from practical experience with facilitating renewable hydrogen projects in Queensland.

Gladstone and Townsville Hydrogen Opportunities Study

As part of strategic planning to facilitate the development of the renewable hydrogen industry in Queensland, the Gladstone and Townsville Hydrogen Opportunities study was commissioned in late 2019. The study provides information on land, infrastructure and services requirements for large-scale facilities for the production of hydrogen and export as liquefied hydrogen, ammonia or methylcyclohexane.

The objective of the study was to provide information to assist with integrated land use and ports planning and infrastructure and services corridor planning including the potential for common user infrastructure.

Information through this process, particularly the conceptual hydrogen production facility dimensions and infrastructure and services requirements was sought with the intention it would be transferrable to other ports in Queensland.

The locations (Gladstone and Townsville) and the three hydrogen transport types (liquefied hydrogen, ammonia or methylcyclohexane) were selected reflecting the known focus of private sector investment at the time the report was commissioned.

The overall report comprises three parts:

• Part 1:  Literature review and preparation of conceptual hydrogen facility
• Part 2:  Market assessment, stakeholder engagement and refinement of conceptual hydrogen facility
• Part 3:  Multi-criteria assessment for the ports (land suitability assessment)

Further information

On 26 May 2021, National Energy Resources Australia (NERA) announced the launch of the Australian H2 Capability Mapping Platform. Developed by Toowoomba-based Strategenics, this will enable businesses to connect directly to enhance visibility of manufacturing opportunities and assist with supply chain development. Get further information or register your capability.

Reports

• On 26 May 2021 the Clean Energy Finance Corporation released the Australian Hydrogen Market Study
• On 22 November 2019, the COAG Energy Council released Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy
• On 24 September 2019, Geoscience Australia released the report Prospective hydrogen production regions of Australia
• National Hydrogen Roadmap - CSIRO (August 2018)
• Hydrogen for Australia's Future ( 1.1 MB) - COAG Energy Council briefing paper prepared by the Hydrogen Strategy Group (August 2018)
• Opportunities for Australia from Hydrogen Exports ( 3.6 MB) - Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) ACIL Allen consulting (August 2018)