Investing in new industries and jobs

The Gladstone region is well placed for growth and diversification. Boasting a long and proud history of international trade and industrial development, the region is a strategic investment opportunity.

The region is proudly defined by its industrial heritage, its connected community, a drive for innovation and economic diversity.

Projects and recent developments:

Central Queensland Hydrogen (CQ-H2)

Central Queensland Hydrogen (CQ-H2) Project front-end engineering and design study in Gladstone. Japanese and Singaporean partners, together with the Queensland Government-owned Stanwell, are looking to develop a large-scale renewable hydrogen production and liquefaction facility. Green hydrogen can be a future energy export, as well as attracting new industries.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has provided $20 million in funding for CQ-H2. At its peak, it will support more than 8,900 new jobs. It will deliver $17.2 billion in hydrogen exports over its 30-year life. The project will initially involve the installation of up to 640 MW of electrolysers to produce hydrogen for commercial operations commencing in 2028.

Boyne Smelters 

Rio Tinto recently signed Australia’s biggest renewable energy deal to power its Boyne aluminium smelter in Gladstone with solar and wind energy.

Alpha HPA 

The Australian Government is providing $400 million in new loans to Australian company Alpha HPA to deliver Australia’s first high-purity alumina processing facility. High purity alumina is a critical mineral used in LED lighting, semiconductors, and lithium-ion batteries and other high-tech applications. The processing facility is expected to create around 490 jobs during construction and more than 200 jobs on completion. The Stage 1 Precursor Production Facility is now in production and Stage 2 will be operational in 2025.

Powering the Regions Fund

The Australian Government’s Powering the Regions Fund announced $93 million for an energy efficiency upgrade at the Queensland Alumina Limited refinery in Gladstone.

The Hunter is the largest regional economy in Australia, known for its diversity across agriculture, energy, defence and manufacturing. It is also home to an emerging renewable energy industry.

The Hunter is primed to take advantage of the net zero transition and plans are well underway. It has the workers, the infrastructure, a world class port, import and export markets, the skills and know-how.

Projects and recent developments

Port of Newcastle 

Together, the Australian and New South Wales Governments have provided funding to support the first stage of the Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub in the Port of Newcastle. The hub will deliver a safe, reliable, and commercial-scale hydrogen supply chain in Newcastle’s industrial and port precinct. It will save about 52,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually from Orica’s Kooragang Island facility.

First production is targeted for 2026. The $207.6 million project is forecast to create 160 construction jobs.

The Australian Government has provided $70 million in funding through the Regional Hydrogen Hubs Program. It also received $45 million in funding from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Hunter Energy Hub

Exploration continues into the development of a low carbon industrial energy hub at the site of the AGL-operated Liddell and Bayswater coal-fired power stations near Muswellbrook. The proposed AGL Hunter Energy Hub development will bring together industries that can make a positive contribution to the energy transition, including renewable energy generation, and grid-scale batteries. AGL is currently progressing feasibility studies with partners across solar panel manufacturing, solar panel recycling and battery recycling.

• AGL has made a Final Investment Decision on a 500 MW, two-hour duration battery to be built at Liddell.
• AGL and SunDrive are exploring solar panel manufacturing at AGL’s Hunter Energy Hub to boost for Australian manufacturing.

The Latrobe Valley is well placed to capitalise on Australia’s new energy technology opportunities, with a significant history and knowledge of energy and engineering. 

The region has a skilled workforce, relevant industry capabilities, excellent infrastructure such as electricity transmission lines, and governments and communities who are committed to building on the Valley’s reputation as a centre for Victoria’s energy sector.

Projects and recent developments:

• The Delburn Wind Farm will generate 205MW to the electricity grid and be based in the south of the Latrobe Valley. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2026. There will be roles across the planning, construction and operational phases of the project.
• The Latrobe Valley Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is a 100MW BESS located beside the existing Morwell Terminal Station on Monash Way. The Latrobe Valley BESS is under construction and when complete will improve the reliability of the electricity network by storing power for use during peak periods.
• Latrobe Magnesium is constructing a 1,000 tonne per annum demonstration magnesium plant in Hazelwood North. The demonstration project will process almost 100% of fly ash into valuable products including magnesium metal, Supplementary Cementitious Material, silica, char, iron oxide and calcium carbonate. The project can also help in addressing potentially hazardous waste stockpiles and produce valuable products with downstream environmental benefits.

As one of Australia’s most economically important and traditionally emissions-intensive regions, the Pilbara presents significant opportunity in the net zero transition. It has an industrial history in iron ore, natural gas, petroleum, and minerals, including battery minerals. The transition is an opportunity to enable the long-term viability of existing industry, such as iron ore mining and to create new industries, such as green hydrogen and green iron manufacturing.

There is clear commitment to decarbonise the Pilbara to help industry meet Australia’s emissions reduction goals. An important part of this is leveraging Australian Government funding to drive private investment in areas like common use transmission infrastructure, renewables capability, and manufacturing.

The Pilbara is seeking to expand its renewable energy and green hydrogen sectors, with the potential for green manufacturing and export opportunities downstream. There are also plans to invest in the export capabilities of the region to maximise the potential of these new energy export industries. 

Projects and recent developments:

• The Australian Government is providing $3 billion through concessional loans and equity investments to WA through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation for new builds and major upgrades to transmission in the state’s electricity grids – the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) and the North West Interconnected System (NWIS). 
• The Commonwealth and WA Government have announced a $140 million agreement to construct the Pilbara Hydrogen Hub to support green hydrogen exports and renewable energy production, as well as to be an enabler for Australian-made green steel and iron. The hub is expected to become operational in mid-2028 and produce up to 492,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year. 
• The Australian Renewable Energy Hub proposes the construction and operation of a 26 gigawatt wind and solar hybrid renewable energy project and production of around 1.6 million tonnes of green hydrogen per annum. The project was granted major project status by the Australian Government in September 2020. 

South Australia has experienced some of the fastest growth in renewable energy capacity in Australia, with access to rich natural renewable energy resources. There is a strong focus on developing the hydrogen industry in the Upper Spencer Gulf. This aims to enable the region to realise its potential in renewable energy, hydrogen export and other green industry. 

South Australia is seeking to capitalise on its rich copper and magnetite iron ore resources to capture the opportunities of the net zero transition. The region is home to existing iron and steel manufacturing capabilities, which present opportunities in industrial decarbonisation and green export.

Projects and recent developments:

• The South Australian Government has announced their State Prosperity Project – a coordinated initiative to unlock renewable energy, minerals and green manufacturing in the Upper Spencer Gulf. 
• The project sets out a clear vision for the transition – harnessing the state’s significant renewable energy and magnetite iron ore resources. 
• Hydrogen energy is also key to transitioning to net zero. Through its Hydrogen Jobs Plan, the South Australian Government is building a hydrogen facility and power plant at Whyalla.