Queensland has become the second Australian state to sign an agreement with Europe’s largest seaport in hopes of supplying green hydrogen to Europe.
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenny announced last week that Queensland had signed a memorial of understanding with the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands to co-operate in developing a supply chain for hydrogen exports.
This comes after the WA government last year signed a similar memorandum of understanding with the port, which is becoming a major center of hydrogen imports to Europe.
The port of Rotterdam aims to import up to 20 million tonnes of hydrogen by 2050, Mr de Brenny said, and the agreement was an endorsement of the state’s ambitions to become a “green superpower of hydrogen”.
He used a video call at last week’s World Hydrogen Summit to sell Queensland’s powers to an investment partner in hydrogen and renewables.
“We use our abundance of sunlight, wind and water, the minerals of our new economy and our skilled workforce to stimulate the evolution of energy,” he told world leaders in hydrogen.
He also outlined steps being taken to support a sustainable and sustainable renewable energy supply chain, including the $ 2 billion government fund for renewable energy and hydrogen jobs, which encourages public energy corporations to partner with private sector projects.
“We also have three Queensland renewable energy zones that allow us to coordinate our extensive renewable energy supplies and open the door to the rapid development of our green hydrogen centers,” he said.
Queensland is due to publish its 10-year energy plan in the coming months.
WA Green Hydrogen Agreement
Last November, WA announced it would work with the Port of Rotterdam to investigate renewable hydrogen export supply chains as it seeks to become a global supplier of renewable hydrogen and moves toward establishing renewable hydrogen centers in Pilbara and the Midwest.
Commenting on the moment of the WA announcement, CEO Allard Castline said that the port of Rotterdam is actively stimulating the development of new international hydrogen supply chains.
He downplayed the problems of the distance between Australia and Europe, saying that local conditions such as the amount of sunlight, wind, availability of space and investment climate, made locally produced hydrogen a viable product.
NSW has signed an agreement with Denmark
Meanwhile, NSW on Monday announced it had signed an agreement with world leader in clean energy Denmark to open trade opportunities and share experiences and research in the field of renewable energy.
The MOU covers cooperation in innovation, policy and program development, trade, investment and technology.
Danish Ambassador to Australia Pernille Daler Cardel says co-operation in energy exports is a priority for the two governments under the agreement, as well as the integration of renewable energy and the deployment of energy transmission and storage infrastructure.
Treasurer Matt Keane said the MOU will accelerate New Wales ’progress to zero emissions by 2050.
“New Wales and Denmark are already pursuing ambitious policies to decarbonise our power grids, but we can learn from each other’s experiences and work together to address some of our most difficult challenges,” Ms Cardell said.
“This Memorandum of Understanding provides a basis not only for New Wales to study in Denmark, but also for Denmark to benefit from our expertise in developing Renewable Energy Zones, Peak Demand Reduction Schemes and Preserving Energy Security.”
Wind and solar energy provide 50 percent of Denmark’s electricity, and it is currently seeking to export its wind energy by building two “energy islands” in the North Sea.
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