The New South Wales Government has approved a $207.6m green hydrogen hub at Kooragang Island.
The project, led by Origin Future Fuels, is a significant step in the state’s renewable sector.
The hub will initially provide around 55 megawatts of electrolyser capacity by 2026.
It plans to scale up to over 1 gigawatt over the next decade. The green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis, will serve as a feedstock in industrial processes and a fuel source in the transport sector.
The hub will primarily supply Orica’s nearby ammonium nitrate manufacturing facility. It is expected to save more than 52,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually from Orica’s facility.
The project, creating 160 construction jobs and 10 ongoing roles, is funded by $45m from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and $70m from the Commonwealth DCEEW.
Penny Sharpe, NSW’s Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, said the facility will be a regional cornerstone of the hydrogen industry.
“This facility will accelerate NSW’s shift towards clean technologies and net zero,” Sharpe said.
Yasmin Catley, Minister for the Hunter, emphasised the potential of NSW and the Hunter to be leading producers of green hydrogen.
Yasmin Catley, NSW’s Minister for the Hunter said NSW has the potential to be a leading producer of green hydrogen and so does the Hunter as the country’s largest regional economy.
“The Hub offers us an opportunity to bring back work lost when the former government shipped manufacturing jobs offshore,” Catley said.
“The approval of the Hub follows this week’s announcement of the Future Jobs and Investment Authority.
“It is a clear sign that the NSW Government is investing in the future of the Hunter, shoring up our energy grid and unleashing the Hunter’s potential to once again be a manufacturing powerhouse.
“Workers expect the NSW Government to be making investments to unlock new industry in the Hunter and ensure our region has stable, good paying jobs well into the future.”
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