The Hydrogen Knowledge Centre, a component of CSIRO’s Hydrogen Industry Mission, is intended to facilitate collaboration between the expanding Australian hydrogen industry, government, and research and development (R&D) ecosystems by providing regularly updated information on policies, projects, research, and resources.
Dr. Larry Marshall, chief executive officer of the CSIRO, stated that Australia is well-positioned to utilize hydrogen to create billions of dollars in GDP growth through the creation of permanent jobs, exports, and domestic consumption, while also reducing emissions.
“CSIRO began research into hydrogen fuel to help catalyse a new industry in Australia that would fill the economic gap being created by the transition away from fossil fuels. Australia is now realising the potential for hydrogen to reduce its emissions and create new economic wealth, thanks to early investment in research,” Dr Marshall said.
“With a strong coalition of partners from government, research and industry, we launched our Hydrogen Industry Mission last year – the first of our missions.
“We’re seeing the hydrogen industry in Australia go from strength to strength – Australian hydrogen production for export and domestic use could generate significant economic growth while helping drive down emissions.”
“The Hydrogen Knowledge Centre will be a central point of critical information for hydrogen R&D in Australia. It will help avoid duplication, and will foster the Team Australia approach needed for Australia to take a world-leading role in developing and exporting hydrogen.”
The Hydrogen Knowledge Centre provides users with access to a vast array of information, ranging from interactive modeling tools that predict the future cost of hydrogen based on technology deployment and energy use to educational resources that explain the fundamentals of hydrogen and its role in the energy mix.
In addition to the two existing modules, HyResource and HyResearch, the HyLearning module is now available.
A new industry map, also part of the information center, will display all of Australia’s existing projects and enable visitors to narrow their searches by project proponents, end-use, and development status.
The Knowledge Centre will also showcase materials created by our industry partners and collaborators in Australia’s hydrogen sector.
Dr. Vicky Au, spokesman for the CSIRO Hydrogen Industry Mission, stated that the new map displayed 85 current hydrogen initiatives being driven by industry in Australia.
“These resources are being developed with state and federal governments, industry and R&D partners to capture and promote hydrogen projects and industry developments across Australia,” Dr Au said.
“The delivery of the knowledge centre is an important milestone for our Hydrogen Industry Mission, because it helps connects the dots for all the players involved across the sector.
“Since launching the existing HyResource page in 2020, it has been visited more than 200,000 times by users from across the globe seeking to learn more about the development of Australia’s hydrogen industry, demonstrating a clear demand for hydrogen information.
“As the clean hydrogen industry continues to develop and evolve, it is our hope that the Hydrogen Knowledge Centre can continue to be a relevant and valuable resource in Australia and internationally.
Simplifying access to information for all those with an interest in hydrogen is an important feature of the knowledge centre. We will do this by linking to partner-led modules and collaboratively developing content for the hydrogen community.”
“CSIRO’s virtual Hydrogen Knowledge Centre will provide support for the growing hydrogen industry to produce energy that meets the needs of businesses and households, and creates jobs for Australians,” said Federal Minister for Industry and Science, the Hon. Ed Husic MP.
“The online knowledge centre will be significant in putting hydrogen at the forefront of renewable energy sources, bringing industries, universities and policymakers together.
“According to Australian government estimates, Australian hydrogen production for export and domestic use could generate more than $50 billion in additional GDP by 2050.”
