Victoria is positioning itself as a hub for renewable fuels innovation, with hydrogen research, industry partnerships and emerging infrastructure projects helping drive the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
Momentum was evident at the third Australian Hydrogen Research Conference (AHRC 2026), hosted in Melbourne by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The event brought together more than 200 delegates from 14 countries and around 70 research institutions, spanning industry, government and academia.
The conference highlighted how collaboration across the hydrogen supply chain – from production and storage to distribution and end use – is accelerating the development of technologies needed to support global decarbonisation.
Vanya Kumar, Executive Director of Innovation, Commercial and Investment Attraction at the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), said events such as AHRC play an important role in translating research into practical outcomes.
“The Australian Hydrogen Research Conference is strongly aligned with our work to support renewable fuels, including renewable hydrogen, as part of Victoria’s broader clean energy transition,” Kumar said.
“Hydrogen is an area where collaboration really matters. Progress depends on trusted science, strong research capability and close partnerships between researchers, industry and government.”
Dr Patrick Hartley, Conference Chair of CSIRO, said the event demonstrated the scale of global research mobilisation around hydrogen.
“The breadth of topics covered shows the research sector has mobilised to support the development of a hydrogen industry as a key element of the global net zero energy transition,” Dr Hartley said.
Delegates also visited several Victorian facilities developing real world renewable fuel solutions.
At Toyota Australia’s Hydrogen Technology Centre in Altona, a renewable energy hub integrates onsite solar photovoltaic, battery storage and a 200 kilowatt electrolyser capable of producing around 80 kilograms of renewable hydrogen per day.
Meanwhile, the 2.5 megawatt Viva Energy Hub is producing up to 1000 kilograms of hydrogen daily and operates Australia’s first commercially scaled public renewable hydrogen refuelling station, supporting heavy fuel cell vehicle fleets across freight, waste management, public transport and water utilities.
At Bacchus Marsh, Australian technology developer Calix is advancing flash calcination technologies aimed at decarbonising heavy industries such as cement, lime, iron and steel. A front-end engineering and design study completed in 2024 found its hydrogen-based ironmaking technology could approach cost parity with conventional processes.
These projects form part of a broader transformation underway across Victoria’s energy sector. The state is targeting 95 per cent renewable electricity by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2045, creating an estimated $35 billion investment opportunity in new renewable energy and storage capacity over the coming decade.
Renewable fuels, including hydrogen, are expected to play a targeted role in that transition, particularly in hard-to-electrify sectors such as heavy transport and industrial manufacturing, while supporting regional economic development and strengthening Australia’s long-term energy security.
For more information and to get involved in Victoria’s switch to clean energy, see investment opportunities published on the Victoria State Government website.