- The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched the second round of its Hydrogen Headstart Program.
- ARENA said the new funding round will build on the lessons learned from the first round.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched the second round of its Hydrogen Headstart Program, making up to AUD 2 billion (USD 1.3bn/EUR 1.1bn) in funding available to support the development of large-scale renewable hydrogen projects across Australia.
An expression of interest phase for Hydrogen Headstart Round 2 will run from October 10 to December 9.
Earlier this year, ARENA allocated support to two projects under the first Hydrogen Headstart funding round – Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ (CIP) 1,500-MW Murchison Green Hydrogen Project in Western Australia and Orica’s Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub.
ARENA said the new funding round will build on the lessons learned from the first round. There will be a focus on projects that target high-priority use cases, as well as projects seeking to reduce costs.
Projects may involve innovative plant construction and design to lower capital costs, improving the efficiency of electrolysers, flexible operations to reduce the cost of renewable electricity, and improving end-use infrastructure for priority sectors, such as green ammonia, iron and steel, or aviation and shipping.
“ARENA is aiming to bridge the gap between ambition and reality. We know that renewable hydrogen will play a critical role in decarbonising heavy industry, particularly in sectors where electrification is not feasible or alternatives are limited,” said ARENA CEO Darren Miller.
He noted, “Getting renewable hydrogen to commercial scale will take time, innovation, and ongoing support. By backing industry first-movers, ARENA is providing the certainty to invest, innovate, and develop the next wave of projects and learnings.”