The Hunter Valley could become a world-leading green energy hub, with thousands of new jobs sparked by a $82 million funding commitment. A job windfall awaits the Hunter Valley under a Coalition plan to make the region a global leader in green energy production and export with a $82 million investment to kickstart a hydrogen “super hub”.
The federal government will on Thursday announce funding for two projects in the coal mining heartland expected to deliver 2,300 direct and ongoing jobs when operational from 2025.
The Coalition has committed $41m for the Port of Newcastle’s Hydrogen Hub, which has a total project value of $163m, and a further $41m toward the $200m Origin Energy Future Fuels’ Hunter Valley H2 Hub Implementation project.
The Origin hub site would include a 60MW electrolyser, hydrogen storage facilities, and a 2MW fuel cell for hydrogen generated power.
The hydrogen produced would be blended into the natural gas network and used in ammonia manufacturing for domestic use and future exports, while three customer refuelling stations would be built across the region for hydrogen trucks and buses.
