Federal hydrogen hub funding puts Hunter on clean energy export map

The federal government has committed $240 million to establish the Hunter Hydrogen Hub at the Port of Newcastle, positioning the region as a critical node in Australia's emerging hydrogen export industry and providing the infrastructure for hydrogen produced from the Hunter's renewable energy resources to be liquefied, stored, and exported to Asian markets through the port's existing bulk terminal infrastructure.

The funding, delivered through the Hydrogen Headstart program, will cover the construction of a hydrogen liquefaction facility with initial capacity of 30,000 tonnes per year, storage vessels capable of holding 10 days of production, and the berthing and loading infrastructure required to fill liquid hydrogen tankers of the type currently being developed by Japanese and South Korean carriers for the trans-Pacific green hydrogen trade.

Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the Hunter was one of three locations in Australia with the combination of renewable energy resource, existing port infrastructure, and skilled industrial workforce to be a genuine hydrogen export hub. "We are not just making promises about hydrogen — we are building the infrastructure that turns those promises into exports," he said.

Port of Newcastle chief executive Craig Carmody said hydrogen would add a fundamentally new cargo category to the port's trade, diversifying away from the coal export dependence that has defined Port of Newcastle's business model for 200 years. He confirmed two Japanese offtake agreements in principle had been signed for the first production years.

Construction of the hub is expected to begin in 2026, with first hydrogen exports targeted for 2029. The hub is expected to create 380 permanent operational jobs once at full capacity.

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