Joint media release with Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Senator The Hon. Matt Canavan

The Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) Hydrogen Working Group is seeking input to help inform the development of a new clean hydrogen industry.

In December 2018, the COAG Energy Council, led by the Australian Government, commissioned the Chief Scientist to develop a comprehensive and ambitious national strategy for the development of an Australian hydrogen industry - and public consultation opens today.

Resources Minister Matt Canavan said that building a commercial hydrogen industry requires a partnership between industry, the community and governments at all levels.

"We support new technologies like hydrogen, but there is more work to do to on it - which is why we already working with states through COAG on developing a hydrogen roadmap and are investing in further technology development", Minister Canavan said.

"Unlike Labor - which has thrown around big dollar promises with no detail about their hydrogen policy - we are doing our homework on establishing a hydrogen industry in Australia.

"And unlike Labor, we won't blindly turn our back on coal and the jobs it supports".

Energy Minister Angus Taylor said that hydrogen could potentially offer more options for clean energy in the long term while maintaining security, reliability and affordability.

"Australia can be a world leader in hydrogen because of our abundant energy resources and proximity to emerging export markets in North Asia", Minister Taylor said.

"While Bill Shorten and Labor have run around the country talking about hydrogen, the Australian Government has already invested more than $100 million into hydrogen projects".

This inclues $50 million for the world-first Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain project in the La Trobe Valley, Victoria. The first shipment to Japan is expected to be delivered in 2021.

Public feedback will inform the development of a draft strategy, to be publicly released in September 2019.

More information can be found at: coagenergycouncil.gov.au/publications/establishment-hydrogen-working-group-coag-energy-council and the consultation paper can be found here: https://consult.industry.gov.au/national-hydrogen-strategy-taskforce/national-hydrogen-strategy-request-for-input.