All eyes will be on George Town with the construction of what's believed to be the first commercial scale hydrogen plant soon to begin.
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The George Town Council voted for the LINE Hydrogen production, storage and distribution facility to go ahead at a June 27 meeting.
LINE Hydrogen founder and executive chairman Brendan James said he believed it was the first commercial scale green hydrogen plant in Australia to be fully qualified and ready for construction.
"In terms of an industrial scale, it's one of the first in the world to do that, and to go into the diesel replacement industry," Mr James said.
"I think that's why the world's really watching at the moment."
It has taken longer than he expected for the development to reach the construction phase, however he said the newness of the industry meant it had been a learning process.
The facility had to pass both the council and the Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority.
Despite the delay, Mr James expected to keep to the goal of producing hydrogen by the end of this year or early 2024.
"We're really excited to get out there and demonstrate hydrogen and the benefits of hydrogen in the economy," he said.
"I think it's great that Tasmania is going to lead the charge in Australia."
The hydrogen produced at George Town is planned to be used to the heavy transport industry.
He said hydrogen offered more range than other green alternatives such as battery, and is fast at the bowser.
LINE Hydrogen will be part of the hydrogen production in George Town, and distribution, as well as bringing in the converted hydrogen-run truck into Tasmania. Mr James said they were working with Bonnie Energy on the distribution.
In a time of rising diesel costs, Mr James said hydrogen would be on the market at the same price or cheaper.
He said the benefits of hydrogen trucks on Tasmanian roads would make businesses more competitive by reducing the costs.
A challenge LINE Hydrogen hasn't avoided is the difficult financial market from high interest rates and inflation.
With the facility now locked in, Mr James said he had planned to acquire the last stage of funding for the project.
He said they were listing internationally, on the London Stock Exchange to secure the necessary funding.
"It would be a great opportunity for a group like CFC, the Clean Energy Finance, to step up and fund it to keep this fully Australian owned," he said.
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Molly Appleton
Molly Appleton is a senior journalist at The Examiner, having formerly worked at The Advocate as a news and sports reporter. She brings a passion for storytelling and knowledge of Tasmania across the three major regions. For any story ideas contact her on 0448 184 160.
Molly Appleton is a senior journalist at The Examiner, having formerly worked at The Advocate as a news and sports reporter. She brings a passion for storytelling and knowledge of Tasmania across the three major regions. For any story ideas contact her on 0448 184 160.
