The highest level of government from Japan and Australia, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, have again recognised the ongoing collaboration between the two nations on the world first Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) Project.
The HESC Project was overtly acknowledged in a joint press statement, published after a meeting between the two Prime Ministers in Darwin on Friday 16 November and, once again, marking the significance that the project carries in fostering science, innovation and industry development between the two partner countries.
“The Prime Ministers welcomed the launch of the joint Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain Pilot Project this year as a significant first mover project in the development of a low-emissions hydrogen partnership.”
The HESC Project is pleased by the continued support offered by Japan and Australia’s leaders.
When Prime Minister Abe met with former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in January 2017 and January 2018, the two leaders expressed support for hydrogen cooperation and the HESC project through a Memorandum of Cooperation on Innovation between the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
In January of 2018, both leaders met in Tokyo for the annual Japan-Australia summit meeting. In a joint press statement, Prime Minister’s Abe and Turnbull further commended the ongoing collaboration under the memorandum and “looked forward to further collaboration on the HESC Project to harness this secure and low-emissions energy source.”
The HESC consortium’s Project Partners look forward to delivering the HESC pilot phase on the ground, with construction to commence mid-2019. The pilot phase will operate for one year, between 2020 and 2021.