COMMONWEALTH INVESTMENT GIVES PRIVATE SECTOR ASSURANCE TO ACT ON NEW ENERGY

The Hunter Hydrogen Technology Cluster, NewH2, has congratulated the Commonwealth Government on their now $464 million injection into the rapidly emerging Hydrogen Industry, with the announcement that the Hunter will join six prospective regions across Australia to accelerate demand for this new energy technology.

Cluster Manager, Clare Sykes has called on industry and business partners to sit up and take notice of the Commonwealth’s strong signal that this region has the capacity and capability to deliver the vision of making Australia a major global player in clean hydrogen production and exports by 2030.

“The federal government’s announcement is further evidence that the Hunter is on the national radar as an energy powerhouse for Australia,” Ms Sykes said.

She said that the Hunter region had been readying itself for more than twelve months and has built a strong alliance of business and industry representatives to enable a united voice for the region to be at the forefront of the new and emerging hydrogen economy and to support and scale low emission industries and solutions.

“We have laid a lot of groundwork including recognition of the work of the Hunter Hydrogen Taskforce and the establishment of NewH2 – Hunter Hydrogen Technology Cluster to bring the region together on this journey through close engagement across industry, business, research and government.

“With today’s announcement, we have the green light we need to accelerate the diversification and growth of the Hydrogen economy and through our collaborative approach as a region, we will ensure the announced $464 million Clean Hydrogen Industrial Hub Grants program will deliver a strong and consolidated return on investment for the Commonwealth and our Region.

“The Hunter has shown it is willing to embrace new and emerging energy technologies and build further on our strong legacy as an energy and industry powerhouse.

With such a strong signal of confidence from the Government, the private sector now has every reason to respond to what will be huge demand for technology, infrastructure and industrial growth. We can really get things moving along at an accelerated pace.”

NewH2 has embarked on a range of initiatives to support the development of the hydrogen supply chain, reduce overlaps and address gaps in the development, deployment and commercialisation of new hydrogen focused technologies. The Hunter Hydrogen Taskforce will soon release the Hunter’s own Hydrogen Roadmap to guide investment, skills development and industrial growth to support energy diversification in the region.

MEDIA CONTACT: Clare Sykes, Cluster Manager 0422 996 191

NewH2 is supporting the emerging hydrogen economy in NSW by facilitating connections and knowledge sharing throughout the state and beyond.

The Hunter region was chosen as the geographic base for NSW’s Hydrogen Technology Cluster and aims to support the development of the hydrogen supply chain, reduce overlaps and identify gaps in the development, deployment and commercialisation of new hydrogen focused technologies.