Hunter business leaders welcome next milestone on hydrogen future for the region
Two of the region’s leading advocates for business and energy transition have today welcomed the announcement that AGL have secured a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Fortescue Future Industries.
NSW Minister for Energy and the Environment Matt Kean again visited the Hunter to join Dr Andrew (Twiggy) Forrest of Fortescue and AGL Managing Director and CEO, Graeme Hunt to unveil the future potential of the Liddell and Bayswater Power station sites as the location for the Hunter Energy Hub.
Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes said that the MOU was a welcome step towards fulfilling the Hydrogen future of the Hunter and builds on other recent announcements and initiatives progressed in the hydrogen economy.
If consummated, this partnership will link together Hydrogen plans with the likelihood of another strategic industry investment and implementation within the region. This is important if we are to realise our ambition to generate hydrogen production projects in the region.
“This MOU shows that a traditional energy supplier is motivated to diversify energy production to play a part in a net zero energy economy and re-generate activity at these significant sites.”
AGL Managing Director and CEO, Graeme Hunt said in a statement this morning that they believed the project, along with the others in our Hunter Energy Hub, could drive the development of around 1,000 permanent jobs across energy production, advanced manufacturing, recycling and the production of chemicals.
Cluster Manager for the Hunter Hydrogen Technology Cluster (NewH2), Clare Sykes said the scale and scope of the Liddell and Bayswater repurposing project would bed down a large portion of baseload renewable power supply for the region, a key piece in the net zero roadmap the State was working towards.
“The key indicators for at-scale uptake of Green Hydrogen are whether it can meet supply and export demands, and provide a positive and sustainable future for jobs in the energy markets including the hydrogen equipment technology and services sectors,” Ms Sykes said.
“By repurposing the Liddell and Bayswater sites, AGL and Fortescue Future Industries are seeking to meet this indicator, and the NewH2 Cluster will fully support the feasibility studies adding value where we can,” she said.
