Five renewable announcements in two weeks

It’s clear that Queensland is turning its eyes to the future to be a global leader in renewable energy and manufacturing.

The Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning is playing a central role in this, ensuring a cleaner tomorrow while helping to create more jobs in more industries.

It’s also clear that the private sector is taking notice - and is ready to invest.

In just the past fortnight, five important announcements were made in north, central and south east Queensland, aimed at driving our renewable energy future.

On 27 September, the proposed Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub was declared a prescribed project in the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, designed to refine ore to produce critical materials for use in new-technology batteries.

The declaration means the Queensland Coordinator-General can work with proponent Queensland Pacific Metals to ensure all necessary project approvals are obtained as quickly as possible.

Further south, Gladstone has shown it wants to be at the heart of our renewable future.

On 7 October, a letter of intent was signed between Hydrogen Utility, Gladstone Ports Corporation and others, to advance discussions on ammonia export facilities, complementing the proposed hydrogen and ammonia facility at Economic Development Queensland’s Gladstone State Development Area in Yarwun.

Just three days later, also within the Gladstone State Development Area, a partnership was announced with Fortescue Future Industries to create one of the world’s largest hydrogen-equipment manufacturing facilities.

It means Gladstone is set to become a world-leading hub for the manufacture of electrolysers – vital to the production of renewable hydrogen.

A day later in Brisbane, and Fortescue Future Industries again showed its renewable intent, reaching an agreement with Incitec Pivot for a feasibility study into green hydrogen and green ammonia production and export at Gibson Island at Murrarie.

And then, making it three major announcements in as many days, the Queensland Government signed a statement of cooperation with Rio Tinto aimed at industry working towards decarbonisation.

Rio Tinto is the first of many signatories, with the goal of the statement to grow the industries of the future and the jobs of the future in Central Queensland.

The world is hungry for clean energy and clean manufacturing and it’s clear that investors are choosing Queensland as the place to power their futures.