Benefits of renewable hydrogen

Developing a renewable hydrogen industry in Queensland will:

• create new jobs
• stimulate regional development
• position the state as an exporter of clean energy
• help the state reach its net zero targets.

Community benefits

We are enabling the development of hydrogen projects across regional Queensland in locations such as Gladstone, Townsville and Goondiwindi. These projects are diversifying local economies and keeping the region’s talent in the community.

EY Australia has estimated 10,000 jobs could be supported by the renewable hydrogen industry by 2040. This includes jobs in:

• construction
• operation
• supply chain
• manufacturing
• industry support service sector.

We are:

• creating training facilities across Queensland to help prepare the workforce for opportunities in the renewable hydrogen industry

• supporting workers in our publicly owned coal-fired power stations to find jobs in the renewable energy sector via a Job Security Guarantee.

Economic benefits

Queensland is already a highly regarded energy exporter globally.

As the world transitions to a low carbon economy, the demand for clean energy and products made with clean energy will grow exponentially. This is creating new market opportunities for Queensland’s renewable hydrogen industry.

Many countries don’t have the same ability to produce renewable hydrogen like we do here in Australia. Our trading partners in South Korea, Japan and the European Union are all expected to import significant volumes of renewable hydrogen from as early as 2030.

To ready our hydrogen industry, we have invested:

• $4.5 billion Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund
• $35 million Hydrogen Industry Development Fund
• $20 million of funding from the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan to support hydrogen related activities.

Queensland’s hydrogen industry is helping to diversify our local economies and protect and create new jobs.

Environmental benefits

As existing industry switches to more sustainable ways of operating, we are likely to see the environment improve. Lower emissions can have positive impacts on air quality and can help preserve habitat.

In Queensland, by using renewable hydrogen it is estimated that by 2050 up to 14 million tonnes of carbon emissions could be reduced per year. This is a similar emissions reduction amount to removing more than 4.2 million cars  from the road.

While hydrogen can be a water intensive process, we can manage our resources through smart planning.

We’re currently investigating how to meet the water required for the hydrogen industry in North and Central Queensland. As we do this, we are looking at options that allow the regions to support not just hydrogen but also:

• future economic development
• urban water needs
• agricultural water needs.

The Goondiwindi Green Hydrogen Project will use wastewater  to create hydrogen.

The hydrogen sector is innovating on how best to protect the environment and maximise the resources available.