Japanese giants challenged to prove ‘clean’ coal to hydrogen dream

afr.com:

Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio has challenged Japanese investors to prove they can capture the carbon they plan to liberate from La Trobe Valley coal when making hydrogen, amid urging of her government to embrace billions of funding supporting the project.

Ms D’Ambrosio has refused to publicly support the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) project, which would turn brown coal into hydrogen, store the carbon in Gippsland’s natural reservoirs then ship the liquid hydrogen to Japan.

Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio at the Summit. Oscar Colman

Japan’s green innovation fund “NEDO” has pledged $2.35 billion toward the HESC project, with that money to be spent in gradual increments on hydrogen liquefaction and shipping infrastructure at both Victoria’s Hastings port and Japan’s Kawasaki port.

Federal ministers Madeleine King and Chris Bowen met with Japanese trade minister Nishimura Yasutoshi and HESC’s Japanese proponents Kawasaki Heavy Industries and J-Power this week, and Ms King told The Australian Financial Review Energy & Climate Summit that Australia should not spurn Japan’s investment in the project.

“I think it’s very hard to turn your back on that, it’s significant for Japan,” she said.

“In addition to the capital investment, I think we can’t ignore the literally human effort and intellectual property drive that has gone into this either.”

Resources Minister Madeleine King at the Summit. Dion Georgopoulos

Those comments echoed Australian Hydrogen Council chief Fiona Simon’s contribution to the Summit on Monday, where she asked: “Why would Victoria not take the opportunity to learn, and to do, and to build the efficiencies, build the capabilities?”

Kawasaki Heavy Industries chairman Yoshinori