CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has launched a new Hydrogen Industry Mission to help support the world’s transition to clean energy by driving down the cost of hydrogen production to under $2 per kilogram.
CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall said the research mission will support more than 100 projects worth $68M over the next five years to position Australia at the forefront of hydrogen production by 2030.
These projects have been planned by partners including: Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER), ARENA, Fortescue Metals Group, Swinburne University, the Victorian Government, the Future Fuels CRC, National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), and the Australian Hydrogen Council, along with collaborators Toyota and Hyundai.
“Australia can become a renewable energy leader through the production, use and export of hydrogen, but it will only become a reality if we breakthrough the $2/kg barrier,” Mr Marshall said.
“That needs Australia’s world class science working with CSIRO’s commercialisation expertise turning breakthrough science into real-world solutions.
“Taking a Team Australia approach is essential to creating the 8,000 jobs and $11 billion a year in GDP that hydrogen can contribute to Australia’s economy as we build back better from the impacts of COVID-19.”
The Mission will focus on delivering four key programs of work, some of which are already underway:
- Hydrogen Knowledge Centre to capture and promote hydrogen projects and industry developments across Australia. The first module, HyResource, was launched in September with NERA, the Future Fuels CRC and The Australian Hydrogen Council.
- Feasibility and strategy studies to deliver trusted advice to government, industry and the community. This builds on recent hydrogen cost modelling and barrier analysis provided as part of developing the National Hydrogen Strategy.
- Demonstration projects that validate hydrogen value chains and de-risk enabling technologies. Development is underway at a new facility in Clayton, Victoria, with Swinburne University and the Victorian Government.
- Enabling science and technology through investment in breakthrough science, including a $20m partnership with Fortescue which focuses on the development and commercialisation of new hydrogen technologies.
CSIRO Hydrogen Industry Mission Lead Dr Patrick Hartley said the Mission aims to support the vision of a clean and competitive hydrogen industry for Australia by delivering research, development and demonstration partnerships.
“CSIRO’s unique position at the nexus of research, government, and industry gives us the ability to bring together stakeholders, and our track record of partnering and leveraging research funds means that we are able to grow this new phase of the industry without the need for everyone to do it alone,” Dr Hartley concluded.
