PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland government has announced A$2-million in funding to the Goondiwindi regional council and its project partners to pioneer the integration of hydrogen production with wastewater treatment.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles said Goondiwindi’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is likely to become one of Australia’s first to expand into hydrogen production.

“This innovative approach to kickstarting a localised renewable hydrogen economy will be supported with the grant from round two of the A$35-million Hydrogen Industry Development Fund (HIDF).

“The power generated from a 2.5 MW solar plant and wastewater will produce hydrogen that will be sold to local customers including agricultural users and heavy industry. Oxygen generated during the production process will go back into aerating wastewater, improving the WWTP’s efficiency.

“It’s possible the integration of these processes will be a model adopted by other Councils as the use of renewable hydrogen energy increases,” said Miles.

The project has a total estimated value of A$15-million, with private sector funding for the project currently being finalised.

Round two of the HIDF will see more than A$20-million allocated to renewable hydrogen projects that are expected to support hundreds of highly skilled jobs.

Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said hydrogen was creating more jobs in more industries, especially in regional Queensland.

“Projects like this are being progressed across Queensland, leveraging the world-leading energy skills that are abundant in regional Queensland,” De Brenni said.

“This round of funding is the HIDF’s largest investment so far in our growing hydrogen supply chain. We are creating a long-term, thriving domestic renewable hydrogen industry which will give some of the world’s largest companies access to competitively priced renewable energy options here on our shores and that equals jobs in the regions.

“This project joins a growing list of government commitments to a clean energy future, one where innovation drives economic growth and delivers high-skilled jobs for Queenslanders.”