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New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
Australia’s shifting stance on hydrogen
18/10/2023
6 min read
Australia has an energy export balance problem and is hoping green hydrogen will be the solution. But Michael Barnard, Chief Strategist at TFIE Strategy, argues that the country’s green hydrogen ambitions are grossly optimistic.
Australia exports four times as much primary energy as it uses in its domestic economy, according to the latest Australian government figures (2022). Over 7% of GDP used to be fossil fuels, mostly exports. Now it’s 1.8% and falling. That 1.8% is direct contributions of the industry to GDP. Indirect contributions through goods and services that the industry purchases like vehicles and accounting double or triple that number, so it’s still a big number.
There are reasonable concerns for governments when it comes to the transition away from fossil fuels.
Green hydrogen
In Australia, a 2019 hydrogen strategy initiative led by the country’s Chief Scientist Alan Finkel said that the nation would focus on hydrogen for transportation, gas networks, heating, electricity systems and export, along with a smaller group of use cases like green ammonia and green steel. Finkel has subsequently backed off substantially from his support for hydrogen for transportation, realising that fuel cell vehicles were uncompetitive with battery electric ones.