Ann: Site Purchased for Proposed Hydrogen Refinery Project, page-59

Thanks for posting that OM. From the same source, no surprises that Latrobe Valley Council are on board but some good info in their submission . It seems that everyone knows how to address the issues for La Trobe and now all govts are catching up. ECT have side-stepped CCS technical difficulties & prohibitive costs and not many would have seen that coming - Brilliant! AIMO

005_Latrobe_City_Council.pdf (parliament.vic.gov.au)


Hydrogen and carbon-based opportunities
Latrobe Valley’s brown coal represents a significant resource which could be utilised for
production of a range of value-added commodities manufactured through various low
emission technologies. As part of its economic diversification, Latrobe City Council strongly
supports research and development on low emission technologies and alternative uses of
carbon from brown coal, including hydrogen.
Latrobe City Council acknowledges that hydrogen provides a significant emerging economic
opportunity not only for this region and Victoria but also for Australia. Given the vast brown
coal reserves present in the Latrobe Valley, Council believes that hydrogen from Latrobe
Valley brown coal could drive the transitioning of the Australian energy sector, while
supporting the region’s new diversifying economic structures and economic growth.
Latrobe City Council is highly supportive of the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) trial
project that intends to produce liquefied hydrogen from Latrobe Valley’s brown coal which
would be subsequently transported to Japan to be used in fuel cell electric vehicles and for
power generation. Council recognises the Victorian Government’s endorsement of this
project.
Initiatives such the HESC could provide further economic development and job creation
opportunities through safe production and transport of clean hydrogen from the Latrobe
Valley to Japan. Latrobe City Council calls on all levels of Government to collaborate in the
provision of a supportive policy and regulatory environment to attract and enable
commercial ‘green and ‘brown’ hydrogen production and export industry in benefit not only
of this transitioning region but the whole of Australia.
Simultaneously, the CarbonNet project is investigating the potential for establishing a
commercial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) network in the Latrobe Valley, a
technology that would be required for a large-scale low emission production of hydrogen
from brown coal.

Latrobe Valley brown coal represents a significant resource which could also be potentially
utilised for the production of a wide range of value-added products utilising various
technologies. Latrobe City Council believes that Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) could
provide significant product manufacturing opportunities.
The CO2, as source of carbon, has the potential to be leveraged as a valuable ‘raw material’
and a component in the manufacture of a range of products such as fertilisers, chemicals,
liquid fuels, carbons and agricultural products, potentially reducing the demand on the use of
finite oil and gas resources. Additionally, carbon captured can be applied to manufacture of
consumer products, including synthetic surface sports arenas, mattresses and upholstered
furniture.
There could be a range of anticipated beneficial impacts on the local economy if carbonbased projects were developed, commercialised and delivered. Such benefits would expected
to be at least equivalent to the economic benefits from coal fired power generation.
Furthermore, opportunities exist to reduce electricity transmission losses and generate new
employment in the region through co-location of intensive energy users with energy
generation facilities. Latrobe City is also ready to embrace opportunities to become a
biomanufacturing hub, reducing Victoria’s waste to produce electricity.