If you haven’t heard about the Hydrogen Opportunity for Northern Tasmania, you may well be living under a rock! The investment opportunities and the long term economic benefits accruing to Northern Tasmania are not to be ignored.

You may recall we hosted a breakfast just before Christmas with NTDC on the same topic.  It was enthusiastically supported by members and non-members alike, especially the Premier and Energy Minister. Yesterday, we co-hosted a very successful Hydrogen lunch with the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone at Platinum Chamber member Country Club [link]. The Federal Minister for Energy Angus Taylor MP and State Energy Minister Guy Barnett MP outlined some of the opportunities that lay ahead and the future is indeed rosy, but with a decided green hue. There’s the USP.. Tasmanian Hydrogen is ‘green’ hydrogen made from 100% renewable energy and so deemed a more desirable product. Mr Taylor elaborated on the principal opportunities for Tasmania’s production of  ‘green & clean’ Hydrogen:

• Using a green H2 (hydrogen) source in the metals processing industry, converting H2 to NH3 (ammonia) for use as a fuel and as a cost effective way to transport H2.
• Future global demand for NH3 is as a shipping energy source that is low to no emission.
• Local opportunities arising from use of H2 and its downstream derivatives for  fuel cell manufacture and the eventual use as a vehicle energy source.

A key point he made is the importance of innovation in driving technological improvements and a decarbonisation of the economy rather than price impediments. That is by encouraging technical innovation rather than simply imposing taxes on old models.

Of the 5 principal approved proponents, at least 2 of them are a long way down the path of feasibility studies towards investment decision; and at least one of them is readying to commence community engagement with construction trades very soon… be assured the Chamber is keeping a focus on this important opportunity and working with BBAMZ, NTDC and the proponents themselves to ensure we maximise every opportunity for Northern Tasmania.