The $540 million investment in hydrogen and CCS fall under the “Technology Investment Roadmap”, a plan to invest $18 billion of federal money in
emissions reduction technology over the next decade, and mobilise a further $50 billion of private investment.
According to the scant detail made available, the hydrogen investment will go toward the creation of five hydrogen “hubs” – that is, parts of the country where hydrogen can be manufactured and shipped overseas. Such hubs would likely need access to renewable energy, water (assuming the hydrogen is made with renewably-generated electricity and water), gas pipelines, and export terminals.
However, the government said it would also be looking for hubs near gas or coal reserves. This is a clear signal the government wants to fund “blue” hydrogen, which is made not from water, but from methane or coal, and produces CO2 emissions. The emissions are then theoretically captured using carbon capture and storage, but current technology is not able to capture all of those emissions.
The only byproduct in green hydrogen production is climate-friendly oxygen, so CCS is not required.
Energy minister Angus Taylor talked up the prospects of the brown coal hydrogen facility in the Latrobe Valley, where it could be combined with CCS. “That’s where we see the immediate opportunity with coal,” he told regional ABC radio. Asked if the five hydrogen hubs would require renewable energy as the power source, Taylor said: “No. A mix is the answer.”
Hello Minister we have a gateway to Hydrogen,
Why cant ECT get hold of just $5-10m of these 10s of billions when we have been working at producing these technologies for so long ?
Very annoying everytime I see them saying they are going to spend all this money when Latrobe Valley needs so much help with their huge Brown coal resource.... Please name another company willing to do something with this resource for the future and create jobs ???
https://reneweconomy.com.au/morrison-dodges-net-zero-throws-cash-at-blue-hydrogen-and-ccs-instead/
All im my opinion and no advice !
(20min delay)