The Victorian Government has announced a funding commitment of more than $7 million for renewable hydrogen experiments and studies, with the goal of growing the sector and reducing emissions.
Lily D’Ambrosio, Victoria’s Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, revealed grant applicants whose initiatives will advance the state’s renewable hydrogen sector.
“Renewable hydrogen is critical to achieving our clean energy transition goal of halving emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050,” Ms D’Ambrosio added.
“These innovative projects will assist businesses in pushing the boundaries of renewable hydrogen and embracing this zero-carbon energy source.”
The Renewable Hydrogen Commercialisation Pathways Fund will grant $6.6 million to fund six projects that will see Victoria manufacture and use renewable hydrogen in real-world applications.
Volgren Australia will produce two commercial-grade hydrogen fuel cell electric buses for trials in Dandenong, while Viva Energy will build a hydrogen refueling station adjacent to an electric vehicle charging station at a public New Energies service station.
Air Liquide and Energys Australia will create renewable hydrogen production facilities for transportation, while Boundary Power will develop a solar-renewable hydrogen standalone power plant for the first time in Australia.
The Boundary Power system will convert solar energy to hydrogen and then use the hydrogen to create electricity during blackouts or in rural places not covered by the grid.
Telstra has been awarded funding to install a sustainable hydrogen fuel cell generator at regional mobile communication sites in order to bolster the grid and reduce reliance on fossil fuel generators.
The Renewable Hydrogen Business Ready Fund will award eight applicants more than $800,000 to produce business cases or feasibility studies to facilitate their transition to renewable hydrogen.
The awards are being made as part of the Victorian Renewable Hydrogen Industry Development Plan, which was announced in February 2021 with the goal of growing Victoria’s renewable hydrogen industry.
Victoria’s renewable hydrogen sector aspires to create long-term jobs through skill development and new career pathways, to foster innovation, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial, energy, and transportation sectors.
