A new feasibility study being undertaken in Germany and Australia
is investigating how the value chain for renewable hydrogen can be developed as
part of the steps towards the development of a global hydrogen market. Expected
to take two years to complete, the study is exploring combining German
technical expertise with Australia’s natural resources in the development and
supply of green hydrogen.
One of the aspects of the study will explore is the shipment
of hydrogen to supply Germany and Europe with renewables sources of energy. The
Port of Rotterdam Authority announced that it will be involved in the project
from the point of view of possible new trade corridors for hydrogen between
Rotterdam to Germany.
“Hydrogen provides us with the opportunity of shipping the
Australian sunshine to Germany,” said Robert Schlögl, Director of the Fritz
Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society and one of the leaders of the
HySupply project in Germany. “Now we want to find out how this can be done on a
large scale and over long distances. This requires pressing research issues to
be clarified at the interfaces of the entire system, from production to
transport, conversion, and end use. If we succeed, we will have found a strong
partner in Australia.”
The HySupply study is expected to develop a roadmap for
implementation and is designed to encourage an intensive dialogue between
German and Australian stakeholders including at the government level. The
Federation of German Industries (BDI) and acatech, the German Academy of
Science and Engineering, in cooperation with a consortium led by the University
of New South Wales (UNSW) are launching the joint project. The Federal Ministry
for Education and Research (BMBF) is providing approximately $2 million to fund
the project for Germany.
“The great renewable energy potential, infrastructure, and
energy exporting expertise of Australia, together with the manufacturing
excellence and energy import needs of Germany, presents an ideal opportunity to
establish a hydrogen value chain partnership that combines their comparative
strengths and interests,” said Associate Professor Iain MacGill who heads the
Australian UNSW-led consortium partnering with Germany. “There are still
considerable challenges, with associated uncertainties and risks, to overcome.
This study will help us jointly plot a pathway to address these challenges and
seize the opportunity for a vibrant renewable hydrogen sector in and across our
countries, and beyond.”