The Western Australian (WA) Government revealed the next steps for developing the State’s Renewable Hydrogen Target at the 2022 Australian Hydrogen Conference.
Speaking at the conference, Hydrogen Industry Minister Alannah MacTiernan stated that the State Government had made several significant decisions on the Renewable Hydrogen Target following stakeholder consultation that began in October 2022.
The Renewable Hydrogen Target will seek to stimulate local demand and support growing hydrogen production projects, both of which are critical to developing the State’s hydrogen industry.
The initial Target will strive to have hydrogen account for 1 per cent of South-West energy output, representing an essential first step in creating a bigger Renewable Hydrogen Target program.
Stakeholder comments on the preliminary design of the target for electricity generation in the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) revealed that more work is needed to ensure that the plan balances SWIS advantages with demand stimulation.
Minister MacTiernan said the SWIS’s assessment of a Renewable Hydrogen Target for electricity generation was a critical first step in boosting local demand and supporting emergent renewable hydrogen production projects.
“Work will concurrently progress on the development of a broader Renewable Hydrogen Target scheme, which considers all potential use cases for renewable hydrogen and will incorporate valuable stakeholder feedback from our consultation,” Minister MacTiernan stated.
Minister MacTiernan added that the findings of the SWIS enquiry towards a Renewable Hydrogen Target for electricity generation would also be integrated into the evaluation and refresh of the WA Renewable Hydrogen Strategy.
Energy Policy WA will conduct research into the role of renewable hydrogen in the SWIS, focusing on long-term storage and peaking generation, to guide future work on unresolved design features such as certificate creation, determining liable companies, and identifying a regulatory agency.
To address stakeholder feedback on other potential applications for renewable hydrogen, the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science, and Innovation will lead the creation of a larger Renewable Hydrogen Target plan at the same time.
“Thanks to all stakeholders who provided input into the investigation of the Renewable Hydrogen Target for electricity generation in the SWIS,” Energy Minister Bill Johnston said.
Minister Johnston stated the feedback is being used to advance the comprehensive design of a Renewable Hydrogen Objective for the SWIS, which will support a 1 per cent target for renewable hydrogen consumption in the SWIS.
“Renewable hydrogen will be an important part of the SWIS future fuel mix,” Minister Johnston added.
The broader approach will consider all potential use cases for renewable hydrogen, such as transportation, industrial feedstock, electricity generation, and pipeline mixing.
It is expected to enable the creation of certificates for renewable hydrogen produced for any purpose, such as the replacement of grey hydrogen used in industrial applications or road transport, allowing the market to develop and distribute hydrogen at a lower cost to consumers.
Energy Policy WA and the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science, and Innovation will report to the McGowan Government on next initiatives and timetables in mid-2023.
 Government revealed the next steps for developing the State’s Renewable Hydrogen Target at the 2022 Australian Hydrogen Conference.){kind=link}