Countrywide Hydrogen announced as the successful applicant of the Green Hydrogen Price Reduction Scheme
On 13 May 2024, the Minister for Energy and Renewables announced that Countrywide Hydrogen, part of ReNu Energy, was the successful applicant for the Green Hydrogen Price Reduction Scheme (GHPRS) and will receive the full $8 million funding.
The agreement is a key step to making Tasmania’s hydrogen sector into a reality and realising Tasmania’s vision of becoming a leader in green hydrogen production.
The agreement will see Countrywide producing hydrogen at multiple locations around Tasmania and supplying hydrogen for a diverse group of users.
Initially the project will target the heavy transport sector as well as potential industrial applications with all hydrogen to be sold within the local Tasmanian market. The first phase of Countrywide’s project will be to construct a hydrogen production and heavy vehicle refuelling facility at the industrial hub in Brighton, which will produce up to 800 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen. Once the Brighton facility is established, Countrywide will aim to expand production and refuelling facilities into the north and north-west of the state. This will see the major road freight routes in Tasmania being serviced by a reliable hydrogen supply.
The GHPRS stems from the Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan and aims to stimulate both supply and demand for renewable hydrogen. The scheme seeks to bring the sale price of green hydrogen down to a level that is competitive with other energy or fuel sources to become an attractive zero emissions substitute for end users.
The funding under the scheme will be paid to Countrywide on a per kilogram basis of green hydrogen sold to end-users to cover the gap between the cost to produce the green hydrogen and what end-users are able to pay
The scheme complements the Tasmanian Government’s $300 million commitment to build open access infrastructure that will support export scale green hydrogen production at the Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub in Bell Bay.
For more information on the scheme and Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan go to https://recfit.tas.gov.au
To learn more about Countrywide’s plans, please visit www.countrywidehydrogen.com