The Port of Newcastle Green Hydrogen Hub Project will receive $41 million in funding, the Federal Government has announced.
The project is a joint venture with Macquarie Capital and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group. The project is being developed with a phase one minimum 40MW electrolyser (a system that uses electricity to break water into hydrogen and oxygen) that over time could increase to a capacity of over 1 GW.
The project has been working with a range of project partners to develop a comprehensive range of use cases for green hydrogen in the Hunter. These include, mobility, bunkering, energy production and industrial uses at scale.
The funding announcement positions the Port of Newcastle as a site to establish a hydrogen hub, with connectivity to domestic and export infrastructure, proximate demand, and access to renewable energy.
Craig Carmody, CEO, Port of Newcastle said, “this funding is a vote of confidence by the Federal Government, which recognises the role of the Port as a key player in the emerging global green hydrogen economy. The significance of this funding cannot be understated. By 2025, we hope to have Phase 1 of the Hydrogen Hub complete, which will benefit a range of local industry and position the Hunter Region to be a key player in the emerging hydrogen opportunity. This funding also complements the recent $100 million in Federal Government funding for hydrogen readiness, which will focus on preparing the land and infrastructure, while the DISER funding provides the platform for a ready transition to Phase 1 construction,’ he said.
Macquarie Green Investment Group’s Global Head of Industrial Transition and Clean Fuels Kate Vidgen said, “the importance of hydrogen as a decarbonisation pathway continues to emerge globally. Successful projects will rely on strategic sites with local demand and clear paths for scale over time and today’s announcement underscores Newcastle’s world-class capability in this field.”
