Origin has been awarded $45 million in funding from the NSW Government’s hydrogen hubs initiative to progress the proposed Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub on Kooragang Island.
The funding was announced during a visit to Newcastle by the Hon Penny Sharpe MLC, NSW Minister for Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for the Environment, and Minister for Heritage.
Origin GM Future Fuels Ryan Willemsen-Bell said, “Origin welcomes the contribution of NSW Government funding towards developing a safe and reliable commercial-scale hydrogen supply chain in the Newcastle industrial and port precinct.
“Support from government is vital to bridging the commerciality gap that exists for hydrogen projects today, helping to demonstrate the technology can be produced at scale.
“We are pleased to be collaborating with Orica to progress this proposed project with a view to helping decarbonise their nearby ammonia manufacturing operations, while the Hub would also offer hydrogen as viable future fuel option for mobility customers.
“We are excited about the potential for hydrogen to contribute to a cleaner future and help Australia reach its decarbonisation goals through substitution into industrial processes and manufacturing and by replacing diesel in heavy transport,” Mr Willemsen-Bell said.
Origin recently signed a joint development agreement with Orica to progress plans and co-fund the proposed Hub through front-end engineering design (FEED) and continues to engage with the local community through the recent public EIS exhibition process.
The NSW Government funding announcement follows a $70 million contribution from Federal Government announced in mid-July.
Pending a final investment decision, first hydrogen production is being targeted from 2026.
