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On October 26 and 27, the Asia Pacific Hydrogen 2023 Summit & Exhibition might be held by the Australian Hydrogen Council on the Worldwide Conference Centre in Sydney, Australia. Notably, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Company (SMBC), a Japanese mega-bank, turned one of many gold sponsors of this worldwide occasion, and representatives of Japanese corporations and associated organizations – such because the SMBC, Japan Group for Metals and Power Safety, Iwatani, Marubeni, Kansai Electrical Energy Co. (KEPCO), and Japan Financial institution for Worldwide Cooperation – are purported to make shows about their commitments to the hydrogen companies. The occasion will embrace members from across the Asia-Pacific area, however it’s evident that Japanese corporations, specifically, are looking for to obtain hydrogen and ammonia in Australia – a “hydrogen rush” to reflect the “gold rushes” of yore.
Probably the most well-known milestone for the hydrogen vitality provide chain between Japan and Australia is Suiso Frontier, the world’s first liquid hydrogen transportation tanker, which succeeded in transporting liquefied hydrogen from Hastings port in Australia’s Victoria state to Kobe port in Japan’s Hyogo prefecture final 12 months. The Suiso Frontier undertaking is just not the one instance of the bilateral hydrogen provide chain, nevertheless.
In October 2018, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) signed a memorandum of understanding with the state authorities of New South Wales for vitality administration and different applied sciences together with a complete improvement plan for hydrogen manufacturing within the Western Sydney area. MHI additionally introduced in November 2020, that it might put money into inexperienced hydrogen and inexperienced ammonia in South Australia.
That very same month, Iwatani and Kawasaki Heavy Industries signed a memorandum of understanding with Fortescue Metals Group on growing a enterprise mannequin for the transportation of liquefied inexperienced hydrogen. In an interview revealed by Nikkei Asia in April 2021, Fortescue CEO Elizabeth Gaines said that the Australian firm was “wanting on the alternative to develop and broaden our general enterprise to the provision of inexperienced vitality and notably inexperienced hydrogen.”
Additionally in April 2021, Kawasaki Heavy Industries determined to cooperate with Australia’s Origin Power for inexperienced hydrogen tasks in Queensland. The next month, IHI, Marubeni, and Woodside Power, headquartered in Perth, introduced that they’d signed an settlement to research the manufacturing and export of inexperienced ammonia produced from renewable hydropower in Tasmania.
That September, Iwatani, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, KEPCO, and Marubeni introduced that they’d signed a memorandum of understanding with two Australian vitality infrastructure corporations, Stanwell and APA, for a feasibility examine on the creation of a large-scale inexperienced liquefied hydrogen provide chain in Queensland.
In November, Idemitsu introduced that Idemitsu Renewable Improvement Australia Pty Ltd. would begin a joint examine on importing inexperienced hydrogen and ammonia from Australia’s Newcastle port to Japan. Then, in January 2022, Sojitz company introduced that it might work along with Australia’s CS Power on an illustration undertaking to move inexperienced hydrogen produced from solar energy in Queensland to Palau for the aim of backup energy sources in small gas cells. The Pacific Island nation is trying to realize 45 p.c renewable vitality technology, and the undertaking is financially backed by the Japanese Ministry of Setting. On the identical day, Marubeni introduced it might begin manufacturing of inexperienced hydrogen in South Australia and transport the hydrogen to Indonesia, utilizing metallic hydride tanks.
In March 2022, CS Power introduced that it had appointed IHI to assemble a renewable hydrogen demonstration plant close to Kogan Creek in Queensland. Osaka Fuel introduced the next month that it might present undertaking administration in addition to technical and engineering assist for a “inexperienced hydrogen undertaking” of AU$10.75 billion on Australian soil.
In September 2022, Mitsui & Co. signed a share buy settlement to accumulate a 28 p.c curiosity in industrial-scale renewable hydrogen tasks within the Pilbara area of Western Australia.
Most just lately, INPEX introduced in June of this 12 months that it had been awarded a subsidy of AU$1 million by the Australian authorities so as to conduct a feasibility examine relating to a clear hydrogen market in Darwin. On July 12, Sumitomo Company introduced that it might collaborate with Rio Tinto, headquartered in London, to construct a hydrogen pilot plant for world’s first trial lower-carbon alumina refining in Gladstone, Queensland.
The rationale for this wave of offers is obvious: hydrogen assets in Australia are indispensable for Japan’s decarbonization technique. As one key Japanese enterprise chief advised New South Wales’ Premier Dominic Perrottet, Japan can not attain its emission discount targets with out hydrogen from the Australian state.
The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict has compelled many countries contemplate the geopolitical dangers of vitality provide chains – together with the rising world hydrogen provide chain. There are six areas from which Japan can procure hydrogen and ammonia: North America, South America, Africa, the Center East, Southeast Asia, and Australia. As some consultants in Japan have been discussing, Australia and the North American continent are the most secure selections from which Japan can procure hydrogen and ammonia.
Africa, the Center East, and Southeast Asia all carry increased geopolitical dangers for Japan, in gentle of the prolonged sea strains of communication concerned. Certainly, a number of components – from the chance of pirate assaults to the potential for armed battle and maritime gray-zone actions to disrupt transport – might be considered latent geopolitical dangers to the procurement of hydrogen and ammonia. On this sense, the US as an ally and Australia as a “quasi-ally” are considered dependable companions of hydrogen and ammonia suppliers for Japan.
With that in thoughts, these strikes by Japanese corporations point out that the Australia-Japan hydrogen vitality provide chain is quickly growing. Evidently, the institution of the bilateral hydrogen and ammonia provide chain will strengthen the Japan-Australia “particular strategic partnership” within the Indo-Pacific area.
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