Melbourne, Australia: The Australian Hydrogen Council (AHC) today congratulated the Australian Government on reaching the next milestone of its $2bn Hydrogen Headstart program, with six applicants shortlisted and invited to submit a full application by mid-2024.
CEO of the Australian Hydrogen Council Dr Fiona Simon said:
“We congratulate the Australian Government for truncating the Hydrogen Headstart EOI process and recognising the urgency of progressing applications this year.
“The six shortlisted projects represent a total electrolyser capacity of 3.5GW across various end uses predominantly in hard to abate sectors such as ammonia.
“AHC recognises the importance of these sectors in building scale and capability of the hydrogen industry, and we are pleased to see these projects prioritised in the Hydrogen Headstart shortlist.
“We have a strong pipeline of hydrogen projects in Australia, and even those that are not successful in this round of the Hydrogen Headstart will be in a better position to compete in future rounds.
“2024 is shaping up to be a defining year for the hydrogen industry in Australia, and also for the Australian Government in bringing together key policies that send the right signals to investors to realise its renewable energy superpower ambitions.
“The Australian Government has progressed significant policies this year including the Capacity Investment Scheme, Sustainable Finance Strategy, Guarantee of Origin Scheme, Safeguard Mechanism and Carbon Leakage Review. It also launched the National Reconstruction Fund, as well as continued to fund the successful operation of the CEFC and ARENA.
“Aligning the implementation of these policies and initiatives is critical to maintaining investor confidence. We look forward to working with the Australian Government to support this work and the various mechanisms to reach net zero including the next phase of Hydrogen Headstart.”
Shortlisted applicants are:
| Applicant | Project | Electrolyser size (MW) | State | End use |
| bp Low Carbon Australia Pty Ltd | H2Kwinana | 105 | Western Australia | Ammonia, Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Minerals processing |
| HIF Asia Pacific Pty Ltd | HIF Tasmania eFuel Facility | 144 | Tasmania | e-Fuels |
| KEPCO Australia Ptd Ltd | Port of Newcastle Green Hydrogen Project | 750 | New South Wales | Ammonia |
| Origin Energy Future Fuels Pty Ltd | Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub | Phase 1: 50 Phase 2: 200 | New South Wales | Ammonia, Mobility |
| Stanwell Corporation Limited | Central Queensland Hydrogen Project | 720 | Queensland | Ammonia |
| Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Pty Ltd as trustee for Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Project Trust | Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Project | 1,625 | Western Australia | Ammonia |
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Download full media release here.
About Australian Hydrogen Council
The Australian Hydrogen Council is the peak representative body for the Australian hydrogen industry, with members from across the hydrogen value chain. We represent the emerging hydrogen industry and connect it with its stakeholders to collectively create a clean and resilient energy future that has hydrogen as a key part of the energy mix.
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