In her address at the APAC Hydrogen 2024 Summit & Exhibition in Brisbane this week, German State Secretary and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Anja Hajduk announced Germany and Australia would sign a joint declaration of intent on hydrogen.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Hon Chris Bowen MP and Hajduk today signed a bilateral agreement under the H2Global mechanism for $660 million of shared investment in Australian hydrogen projects.
Related article: A glimpse at Australia’s hydrogen future
This joint funding will be available over the next 10 years, to support new commercial supply and access to the European market through guaranteed offtake agreements. Industry consultation is expected on the design and specifications of the trade window.
Minister Bowen also announced a new agreement with Germany’s Federal Ministry for Education and Research to deliver a new Green Metals for Sustainable Steel initiative that will focus on how Australian green iron can support decarbonisation of Germany’s economy.
The declaration will see bilateral auctions between both countries, Hajduk said, with both countries “totally committed” to transforming their energy sectors and reaching common goals of carbon neutrality together.
In her speech, Hajduk said Germany was investing heavily in hydrogen pipelines and would require domestically produced and imported hydrogen and its derivatives.
She said Germany expected 50-70% of its hydrogen demand to be important by 2030 from partner countries, with a mix of blue and green hydrogen.
“H2Global is a dual-action model. It buys hydrogen through competitive auctions and then sells at the highest possible price throughout Germany,” Hajduk said.
“We therefore very much appreciate our cooperation with Australia.”
Global leaders and hydrogen experts will gather for the second day of the APAC Hydrogen 2024 Summit & Exhibition to hear about the latest advancements, technologies, and solutions in the world of hydrogen.
Day one saw an insightful address from the Australian Hydrogen Council’s Dr Fiona Simon, who addressed some of the myths surrounding hydrogen.
“It’s a myth that hydrogen is a choice and we can choose to not develop a hydrogen industry—we need it to reach net zero,” Dr Simon said.
“Secondly, it would be a myth to think hydrogen isn’t viable because some projects have failed. This is a normal part of the process.
Lastly, it’s a myth to think we need to know all uses and processes for hydrogen now. We are collectively finding ways to transition away from fossil fuels. It will be hard, but we know we need to build this industry as an important part of the transition.”
Related article: German green hydrogen head visits Hysata
Today, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen will address the 3000-strong audience alongside Queensland Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni.
The APAC Hydrogen 2024 Summit & Exhibition is an initiative of the Sustainable Energy Council.
