Deputy Premier Roger Cook addresses Mid West Hydrogen Forum in Geraldton to inform landowners of projects

Stakeholders were given briefings about the emerging hydrogen industry and the way forward in the renewable energy sector at a forum in Geraldton this week. Broadacre farmers, pastoralists, traditional land owners, shire representatives and landholders were invited to attend the first Mid West Hydrogen Forum, hosted by the Mid West Development Commission, discussing potential opportunities, benefits and impacts of the emerging sectors in the region. Deputy Premier and Hydrogen Minister Roger Cook addressed the forum and updated guests on renewable hydrogen developments in the Mid West region. The focus was not just on the Oakajee project, but on other proposed developments in the region, such as Kalbarri and the emerging Arrowsmith precinct, south of Dongara. Mr Cook said the forum was an opportunity to stress the huge potential renewable hydrogen had to help reach the State Government’s goal of net zero emissions and that hydrogen would play a critical role in Australia’s decarbonisation efforts. “We have gigawatt scale projects in place right up and down our coastline with approximately 30 different proposals from Kununurra in the north through the Pilbara, Gascoyne, Mid West, Kwinana and ending with Esperance in the south,” he said. Mr Cook said by 2030, projects indicated the potential for 100 gigawatts worth of renewable energy generation, equating to about seven billion tonnes of renewable hydrogen per annum. “By 2040, based on the currently announced project, this could be up to 200 gigawatts of renewable energy generation and around 14 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen available to export annually,” he said. MWDC CEO Nils Hay said the Mid West, thanks to its globally significant renewable energy resources, was becoming a big part of Australia’s energy transition and decarbonisation mission. “The Mid West is on the cusp of something significant,” he said. “We are poised to be a true leader in both environmental and socioeconomic sustainability. “It is now up to us to ensure the coming developments deliver the greatest shared benefit back to the region, support industry and community to thrive, and make sure that local communities, businesses and traditional owners have a role in that development and benefit from that growth,” he said. Opposition Leader and Moore MLA Shane Love said there were a lot of projects that could take off and see the Mid West transform into “a real powerhouse”. “There’s a lot of natural gas development going on in the area around Dongara and Mingenew and that’s an exciting area for the transformation, but there’s also a likely development of a hydrogen hub around Oakajee and also a potential hydrogen industry development in other areas such as Arrowsmith,” he said. “Another question becomes can we actually grow the infrastructure quick enough in the towns to provide for the expected population. In that regard, some of the outlying communities can actually become very important.” The MWDC plans to deliver another update later in the year to a wider audience.