The Federal Government will invest up to $70 million to develop the Townsville Region Hydrogen Hub in North Queensland.
The hub, led by Edify Energy, will produce green hydrogen for use by local industry and in zero-emissions transport. It will also create at least 200 direct job opportunities for local tradespeople during construction and ongoing jobs in technical and engineering roles.
Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, said the whole world needs renewable hydrogen, and regional Australia is ready to provide it.
“Renewable hydrogen is a game changer, opening the door to green metals, green fertiliser, green power, and supporting industrial decarbonisation.
“With its port, expertise in exports and access to Queensland’s abundant solar resources, Townsville is ideally placed to help power the world with Australian renewable energy and create jobs in regional Australia.”
The initial stage of the hub will produce 800 tonnes of green hydrogen per year, enough to fuel over 40 heavy vehicles a year. It will ramp up to around 3,000 tonnes for domestic supply and, ultimately, more than 150,000 tonnes for export.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that investing in Townsville’s hydrogen industry is investing in Australia’s future.
“The global shift to clean energy and decarbonised economies is a huge economic opportunity for North Queensland.
“We are determined to grasp this opportunity and are investing half a billion dollars into regional hydrogen hubs all around Australia.”
This Australian-German collaboration brings together Germany’s expertise in hydrogen technology and Australia’s potential to be a world leader in the production and export of renewable hydrogen.
The project has over $137 million of combined investment. The Commonwealth’s contribution is up to $70 million, including $20.7 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. The remaining funding is being sourced from industry and the German Government.
Construction will begin next year and be complete in 2026, with initial commercial operations scheduled to start in 2027.
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