APPEA has welcomed the release of the Australian Labor Party’s National Hydrogen Plan.
“There is tremendous interest in hydrogen as a new, cleaner fuel. Labor’s promise to direct $1 billion into funding of hydrogen research and commercial development would spur investment into this emerging technology,” said APPEA Chief Executive Malcolm Roberts.
The Hydrogen Strategy Group, chaired by the Chief Scientist, Professor Alan Finkel AO, has highlighted the opportunity for Australia to export liquified hydrogen alongside liquefied natural gas (LNG) to meet the growing demand for cleaner energy across the Asia-Pacific.
“Australia’s LNG industry is ideally placed to support the growth of a new hydrogen export industry in Australia,” Dr Roberts said.
“Australia’s LNG export success story means our industry has the technology, the expertise and the commercial and trade relationships to make hydrogen exports a reality.
“Indeed, hydrogen is already being produced from Australian LNG exports in some of our overseas markets. In the United States, natural gas is the dominant source of their growing hydrogen industry.”
Natural gas can provide a fuel source for ‘blue’ hydrogen made through the process of steam methane reforming (SMR), with any greenhouse gas emissions generated during SMR managed through market offset or technical abatement to offer a carbon-neutral product.
“A number of APPEA members are already exploring those opportunities,” Dr Roberts said.
