Hunter Well-Placed to be a Hydrogen Hub 

Hunter Well-Placed to be a Hydrogen Hub

Business Hunter has welcomed the federal government’s foreshadowed $540 billion budget commitment to hydrogen and carbon capture technology development, saying it makes sense to locate one of the hydrogen hubs in the Hunter.

“The Hunter region is well-placed to be a national hydrogen hub, with our existing skills base and energy infrastructure,” Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes said.

“This has been recognised by both National Energy Resources Australia, which earlier this year declared the region as one of 13 national hydrogen clusters, and the NSW Government, which last month committed $70 million to the development of green hydrogen hubs in the Hunter and Illawarra.

“It seems logical that federal policy and budget could should align with state government priorities in the development of new energy solutions.

“The acknowledgement of carbon capture and storage is also welcome as we know the Hunter is a stronghold in research and development in this area through work being done through the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources in collaboration with industries and business in the Hunter region.

“If the government is serious about supporting practical solutions to develop new technologies to help reduce emissions, then the Hunter region has to be feature prominently in these initiatives.”