Victorian employment and industry minister Ben Carroll says an economy promoting hydrogen fuel cell technology could reinvigorate Australian automotive manufacturing.
Speaking at KPMG in Melbourne for a presentation hosted by Hydrogen Mobility Australia, the minister announced the Victorian government will support the foundations of a hydrogen economy and transport supply chain.
“I’m very keen to see what we can do with our own government fleet to support this emerging sector and ensure it’s strengthened,” Carroll explains.
“It’s important we lead by example and it’s why we’ve commissioned Infrastructure Victoria to do a groundbreaking report on the future of electric vehicles including hydrogen, propulsion, and what it means for this state in manufacturing, in defense, and making sure we have infrastructure in place.”
Carroll says in achieving Victoria’s 2050 net zero carbon emissions target there are plans in place to reach that goal.
“We are very keen to work with (energy, environment and climate change) minister Lily D’Ambrosio to support Hydrogen Mobility Australia, and ensure our auto sector, supply chain, and workforce continues to be supported,” he says.
“We need to be frank and say we’re behind in Victoria and need to play catch-up to live up to being the world’s most livable city, and the only way to meet that standard is to embrace hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.”
Carroll commends automakers for their attempts to survive as long as they did, but believes a new automotive frontier is beginning in eliminating transport emissions.
“While I would have loved to see car manufacturing stay, but we are where we are, and its the work on hydrogen and electric vehicles – and the global supply chain – will make sure we’re part of the action.”
“We’re working closely with carmakers because we have the world’s best designers coming out of our universities.”
Simon Corbell, ACT deputy chief minister and Victoria’s Renewable Energy Advocate, says governments need hydrogen policies in place to see long-term supply chain change.
“We need to identify government incentive opportunities, taxation treatment and other states need to get involved to stimulate demand.”
“On the employment front, current sectors exposed to rising energy costs, like those dependent on gas, hydrogen is a way of prolonging our availability of natural gas, but also as a more competitive and low-carbon fuel.”
“It’s a critically important task for the industry to focus on how the delivery of hydrogen can be completely zero carbon, and transition away from fossil fuel sources, delivering at a competitive cost.”
ITM Power managing director Neil Thompson says Australia has the ability to go full-hydrogen and fix our energy security problem of only weeks’ worth of national fuel supply.
“My colleagues internationally are amazed at the limited days fuel supply here in Australia,” he says. “We have a lot of opportunities to ensure a future energy supply and stability.”
“We’re looking at opportunities for local supply chain collaboration with hydrogen, including transitioning the gas network to decarbonise.”
ITM Power, a British manufacturer, currently has 13 hydrogen stations operational and under construction in the UK and says Australia is ready to follow suit.
“It has to happen. The Germans are leading the charge, followed by our UK market, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and California of course – and then there’s China’s pollution problems,” Thompson says.
“The fleet experience with Toyota, Hyundai and Honda is crucial, and the cost aspirations are to make it as affordable as a regular tank of fuel for consumers.”
Main image: Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle in Melbourne.
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