The Hunter's renewable energy infrastructure is second to none but it is the region's people who Twiggy Forrest says will be responsible for making the Hunter's clean energy revolution a reality.
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In an impassioned address, the mining billionaire urged workers at the ageing Liddell power station on Wednesday to embrace his vision for green hydrogen production in the region.
"The future is definitely renewable energy. The change we are going through will be bigger than anything we have ever seen; it will be a greater change than the industrial revolution. And we ladies and gentlemen here in the Hunter are at the heart of it," he said.
"I would like to see the Hunter become one of the great pearls if not the great pearl of the renewable energy product and fuel sector of our planet and of our country."
Dr Forrest arrived at Liddell by helicopter to sign a memorandum of understanding to investigate green hydrogen production as part of AGL's 10 hectare Hunter Energy Park.
The project to be powered by clean energy, delivered through grid-scale batteries, solar thermal storage, wind, pumped hydro and the co-location of industry, has the potential to create more than 1000 full time jobs across energy production, advanced manufacturing, recycling and the production of chemicals.
AGL and Fortescue Future Industries will conduct a feasibility study over the next 12 months to map key operational and commercial plans for the project and enable the development of a production timeline.
Many of the workers in attendance will transition into renewable energy industries following the closure of Liddell in 2023.
Dr Forrest, who said green hydrogen had the potential to "dwarf the size of the coal industry", also endorsed the State Government's hydrogen strategy.
"The renewable energy future will not be where the biggest oil deposits are or where the biggest gas deposits are or the biggest coal deposits. It will be where the leadership is strongest because it is not renewable energy that is finite, that is infinite, but it is the market which is finite," he said.
"I'm here because I believe in the leadership of the NSW government, the leadership of AGL and I strongly endorse and invite the fossil fuel sector to embrace the green energy future."
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NSW Treasurer Matt Kean, who was also at Liddell said the AGL-FFI partnership would lay the foundations for the Hunter to become a global clean energy and economic powerhouse.
"We know the world is going to need hydrogen if it is going to hit the goal of net-zero emissions. Big markets like South Korea and Japan have said that hydrogen is going to be the key to their future. I want to make sure it is the Hunter that is providing that hydrogen because it will mean supporting jobs, driving investment and growing our prosperity for this region and the state."
AGL chief executive Graeme Hunt said early estimates indicated the Liddell site had the capacity to support a gigawatt scale hydrogen facility, however, critical inputs including renewable energy costs, firming requirements, electrolyser capital costs, logistics and utilisation would need to be tested over the next 12 months.
"We have a long history of supporting the development of new technology as early investors in wind and other renewables and we want to do the same in partnerships with Australia's emerging hydrogen industry," he said.
"Fortescue is leading the charge on the development of green hydrogen in Australia and abroad, and we are excited to bring our site and expertise in large-scale renewable generation to the fold."
Business Hunter chief executive Bob Hawes said the AGL- FFI partnership reinforced the significance of recent hydrogen-related developments, including the announcement of a $3 million feasibility study into the development of a green hydrogen hub at the Port of Newcastle.
He said the partnership also increased the likelihood that another strategic industry investment would occur.
"This is important if we are to realise our ambition to generate hydrogen production projects in the region," he said.
"This MOU shows that a traditional energy supplier is motivated to diversify energy production to play a part in a net zero energy economy and re-generate activity at these significant sites."
Hunter Jobs Alliance coordinator Warrick Jordan said urged the community to support the Liddell green hydrogen project.
"We know what the brochures say about the opportunities for the Hunter to develop new industries, but when you have a large energy generator, state government and an Australian company that is scouting the globe for projects turning up in the Upper Hunter and saying 'we can drive 1000 jobs in clean energy and manufacturing' then we know things are moving," he said.
"What's particularly important about this project is that it's making the most of our competitive advantages and assets to develop a specific project. That's the next step for the Hunter - we know we have the capacity, and now we are seeing multiple projects that are assessing in detail what advantages we actually have, and leveraging those so we can compete with other places that are busting a gut to land these jobs."
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