Japanese and Australian governments launched a multi-billion dollar project to produce liquefied hydrogen from coal for Japan's southeastern region, the Japanese company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced Thursday.
The Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) consortium led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, including J-POWER, Iwatani Corporation, Marubeni Corporation and Australian company AGL, will operate the project.
Construction of the facility in Victoria is expected to start from 2019.
According to the statement released from HESC, the first shipment of hydrogen, from the pilot, is scheduled for 2020-2021.
Hydrogen is the clean energy commodity of the future, and a credible solution to the world's energy and climate change problems, according to the company.
'Australia already exports coal, iron ore and LNG. With the HESC project, it can export the commodity of the future, hydrogen, which gives off no carbon emissions when used for electricity production in fuel cells or gas turbines,' the statement read.
'Global opportunities in this market are on the rise. The Hydrogen Council says hydrogen could supply a fifth of global energy, in a US$2.5 trillion market, by 2050. This is a landmark in the development of this new economy, and in relations between the two countries,' it added.
By Huseyin Erdogan
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr