The Australian Government has signed a joint statement of cooperation on hydrogen fuel with Japan.

The agreement commits the nations to cooperation on the deployment of hydrogen as a clean, secure, affordable and sustainable source of energy.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Matt Canavan, and Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Hiroshi Kajiyama, signed the Joint Statement on Cooperation on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells during the Australia-Japan Ministerial Economic Dialogue in Melbourne.

Senator Canavan says Australia and Japan are well placed to maximise the opportunities presented by hydrogen, based on a long history of successful energy and resource trade.

“Australia is building a hydrogen production base to foster domestic growth and meet future export demand in Japan and the region. The opportunities are great. Scenarios developed for the National Hydrogen Strategy indicate an Australian hydrogen industry could generate about 8,000 jobs and about $11 billion a year in GDP by 2050,” Senator Canavan said.

“Australia and Japan recognise that hydrogen is a key contributor to reducing emissions, especially when produced from renewable energy or fossil fuels combined with Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS).”

According to the government, Australia and Japan will continue to cooperate on the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) project in Victoria, which is making progress towards establishing the world’s first international liquid hydrogen supply chain, as well as shaping global hydrogen market regulations.

Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy, released in November 2019, is available here.