Western Australia $45.4M in renewable hydrogen projects

In Australia, the McGowan Government will invest an additional A$61.5 million to supercharge Western Australia’s growing renewable hydrogen industry to create 21st century jobs and move towards a low-carbon future. 

A new A$50 million fund, included in the McGowan Government’s 2021-22 Budget, will be used to stimulate local demand for renewable hydrogen in transport and industrial settings and to drive investment into renewable hydrogen. The 2021-22 Budget includes funding to develop and upgrade infrastructure at the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area (SIA) to establish a major renewable hydrogen hub in the Mid-West.

This delivers on the McGowan Government’s election commitment of A$7.5 million for an access road into the Oakajee SIA to kick-start activation of the precinct. An additional A$4 million will be directed towards developing the plan for activation of Oakajee and for additional infrastructure requirements, and to bolster the Renewable Hydrogen Unit within the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

The new funding commitment comes as the McGowan Government progresses a A$900,000 investment towards three industry-led feasibility studies into renewable hydrogen projects across the State.  The studies, supported by the McGowan Government’s existing A$15 million Renewable Hydrogen Fund, include projects in metropolitan and regional WA to support industry development. 

BP Australia will receive A$300,000 to progress their Kwinana Clean Fuels Hub proposal, which would see BP’s existing Kwinana refinery facility used for green hydrogen and clean fuel production. Two feasibility studies will examine technologies and capabilities to support the transport of renewable hydrogen. APT Management Services will receive A$300,000 to study the conversion of the Parmelia gas pipeline into a 100 per cent hydrogen pipeline.

Global Energy Ventures will receive A$300,000 to evaluate the technical and commercial feasibility of exporting green hydrogen to the Asia-Pacific from the Gascoyne utilizing a compressed hydrogen shipping solution. 

The McGowan Government has already committed almost A$30 million towards developing a job-creating renewable hydrogen industry in WA and is delivering on the WA Renewable Hydrogen Strategy targets.