3GW renewable hydrogen project in Aldoga QLD to create 5000 jobs

Queensland will soon welcome a new large-scale renewable hydrogen facility following the announcement of a preferred location in Aldoga, west of Gladstone. 

This announcement follows the launching of the State Government’s $1.84 billion Queensland Jobs Fund which encourages investment in Queensland while focusing on job-creating industries such as renewable energy, hydrogen and manufacturing. 

The 3GW facility is going to be developed by Stanwell and Japanese industrial company Iwatani Corporation and the project is anticipated to create over 5,000 regional jobs. 

According to Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles, this project is expected to generate up to $4.2 billion in hydrogen exports as well as $10 billion for the State economy. 

“The Stanwell-Iwatani project will be a key driver in Central Queensland’s hydrogen supply chain and the significant manufacturing and investment potential it will unlock. 

“Stanwell has now signed an option agreement with Economic Development Queensland locking in land for the facility, which is an exciting step towards the proposed project becoming a reality. 

“Encouraging investment in job-creating industries like hydrogen is part of Queensland’s economic recovery plan,” Minister Miles said. 

The preferred location for the renewable hydrogen facility is a 236-hectare site in Aldoga and it was chosen due to its size and it is near port, power and pipeline infrastructures. 

Once up and running, the project is set to be the largest hydrogen production facility in the State. 

“The development of a large-scale, renewable hydrogen supply chain in Central Queensland will support the growth of renewables, create jobs and provide access to global export opportunities. 

“That’s exactly what the Stanwell-Iwatani project will do, scaling up to over 3,000 megawatts of electrolysis capacity by the early 2030s, with millions of tonnes of renewable hydrogen to be exported around the world. 

“Locally, it will also benefit construction, utilities, heavy manufacturing and a range of local service industries,” Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Minister Mick de Brenni said. 

The project site is located near the proposed Central Queensland Renewable Energy Zone, opening the opportunity for the new facility to access renewable energy sources to power its operations. 

In addition, Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher said that the Queensland Government will also be investing $2 million to upgrade training facilities at Gladstone State High School to help prepare students for hydrogen jobs. 

“For the people of Central Queensland, this announcement means jobs now in exploration, jobs during construction, jobs during export operations and jobs right through the manufacturing supply chain. 

“We’ll continue to invest in local skills and training opportunities, so our community is ready to take on these jobs of the future, while the hydrogen supply chain is being established,” Minister Butcher said. 

Acting Stanwell CEO Adam Aspinall said that the company has recently completed a joint planning study with Iwatani and are now in the process of building a broader consortium comprised of Japanese and Australian companies to progress the project to the next stage in the second half of the year. 

“As a business, we are progressing a range of future energy solutions to ensure we are in the best position possible to respond to changing market conditions. 

“We are investigating a range of opportunities to incorporate technologies into our asset portfolio, including hydrogen, energy storage, wind, solar and bioenergy,” Mr Aspinall said. 

Source: Queensland Government – Media Statements; Stanwell; Renew Economy