Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr Hiroshi Kajiyama and Senator, the Hon. Matthew Canavan, Australia’s Federal Minister for Resources signed a Joint Statement of Co-operation on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells at the Australia-Japan Ministerial Economic Dialogue in Melbourne, on 10 January 2020, reinforcing both countries’ “strong commitment to deploying hydrogen as a clean, secure, affordable and sustainable energy source”.
The statement emphasised hydrogen as a key contributor to emissions reductions, “especially when produced from renewable energy or fossil fuels combined with Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS),” and acknowledged “the steady progress of the [HESC project] towards establishing an international hydrogen supply chain.”
The HESC Project Partners appreciated the reference to the HESC Project as a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship between Australia and Japan. This support highlights the importance of this project for the two countries. Fully realised, it will create a new Australian industry, built around clean hydrogen production, exports and technology.
The two Ministers’ reaffirmation of the importance of cooperation, both bilaterally and internationally, on harmonisation of hydrogen policies, market regulations, codes and standards, aimed at spurring international demand was also reassuring. This will be key to providing businesses with the necessary confidence and incentives to invest and realise the full hydrogen potential. In this regard, the Joint Statement overtly mentions the links between the two Governments’ national hydrogen strategies.
The HESC Project Partners look forward to continuing their collaboration with the Japanese, Victorian and Australian Federal Governments to support the implementation of this Joint Statement and its objectives through the successful implementation of the HESC Project.
Read the Joint Statement and Senator Canavan’s media release.