Hydrogen Industry in the Illawarra
A Joint Submission by Regional Development Australia (RDA) Illawarra & RDA Sydney
The Illawarra is ideally positioned for the creation of a Hydrogen Hub for NSW, as part of Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy. An Illawarra Hydrogen Hub will leverage existing infrastructure for the production and distribution of hydrogen at Port Kembla, initially building and servicing domestic demand whilst delivering export capacity and capability by 2030.
CSIRO has identified fifty-six Australian hydrogen-related projects; of these, only four are currently operating, nine are under construction and 43 are in planning or feasibility stages and may never come to fruition. By comparison, Port Kembla has been at the centre of industry and transport for over a century and has a 30-year history in the generation of hydrogen, through the existing Coregas facility.
The location of a Hydrogen Hub in the Illawarra will provide immediate opportunity for the use of hydrogen in existing industrial processes; gas injection to decarbonise the natural gas grid; transport, with specific prospects in heavy haulage; and a longer-term opportunity for export through the expansion of existing port facilities.
View full submission to the NSW Government Standing Committee here.
Sector
Industry