Joint media release with Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor

The Morrison Government is driving the development of Australia’s future clean hydrogen industry to support the creation of new economic and job opportunities across the country.

In a significant boost for the industry, Australia’s national science agency the CSIRO has today launched a Hydrogen Industry Mission to accelerate key projects and boost research collaborations to help grow the sector.

Through the mission, CSIRO, government and partners in research and industry are investing more than $68 million to help build a hydrogen industry in Australia, with a focus on bringing down the cost of production and distribution, reducing emissions and creating jobs.

The investment complements the $275.5 million announced in the 2021/22 Budget to support the development of regional hydrogen hubs, and brings the Government’s total support for Australia’s hydrogen industry to over $900 million.

Hydrogen is a key priority under the Government’s Technology Investment Roadmap. The Government is seeking to work with industry to lower the cost of clean hydrogen to under $2 per kilogram. This is the point at which hydrogen becomes competitive with alternatives to allow for large-scale deployment across our energy systems.

Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said collaboration will help to drive down the cost of new hydrogen technologies.

“Australia can be a world-leader in hydrogen and this partnership with the business and research communities is another positive step towards growing a clean and competitive hydrogen industry in Australia,” Minister Taylor said.

“Hydrogen offers enormous energy and economic benefits and has the potential to create more than 8,000 new jobs and generate $11 billion a year in GDP by 2050.”

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Christian Porter said the CSIRO Missions Program is about bringing together research and industry to address major societal challenges in key areas, and delivering positive outcomes that lead to job creation and economic growth.

“The CSIRO Missions Program is about improving the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of our established and emerging industries by fostering collaboration with the research sector to drive innovation,” Minister Porter said.

“CSIRO has an exemplary track record of fostering cutting-edge collaborations between government, universities, industry and the community. The Hydrogen Industry Mission is the latest ambitious effort that will see technology help to lower emissions by expanding our clean energy options.

“Research and development is critical to securing the efficiencies needed across the supply chain to drive down the cost of hydrogen, and this investment will create new job opportunities, grow the economy and leverage the global advantages presented by Australia’s potential to become a major hydrogen producer and exporter.”

The Hydrogen Industry Mission is supported by $38 million from CSIRO, with contributions of $18 million from industry partners and $12 million from the Australian Government. Over the next five years, the mission will continue to scale up to achieve the H2 under $2 objective.

In 2020, CSIRO identified a portfolio of initial missions in development to solve Australia’s greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. CSIRO will continue to launch future missions over the next 12 months.

More information on the Hydrogen Industry Mission is available at https://www.csiro.au/en/about/challenges-missions/Hydrogen