The Port of Newcastle has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Australia and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) setting out a pathway towards a clean energy economy in the Hunter Region.
This was unveiled during a visit by Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen.
The partnerships, which include domestic and multi-national organisations, complement the backing of the Commonwealth Government, with the port securing a $100 million funding grant in the 2022 Federal Budget for the Clean Energy Precinct.
Port of Newcastle CEO, Craig Carmody, said the once in a generation project is one of two key developments in the Port’s 2030 diversification strategy.
“Our dedicated 220-hectare Clean Energy Precinct offers the perfect platform for large scale clean energy production.
“It will be supported by common user, open access, shared infrastructure across clean energy storage, transport and export facilities servicing production from the Precinct itself and from right across the Hunter Region.
“Partnerships, both local and international, which bring together infrastructure, investment, knowledge, skills and resources, will be critical in the establishment and scale-up of a domestic clean energy economy and export trade pathway at Port of Newcastle,” Carmody added.
Moreover, the Port of Newcastle’s Board Chair, Roy Green, said: “The Clean Energy Precinct not only supports Commonwealth and state governments clean energy targets, it forms part of a domestic and global collective, all pursuing a common goal of producing and transporting sustainable energy,” Green said.
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The Port of Newcastle has signed 15 MoU agreements to support the development, storage, and export pathway enablement of a clean energy economy at the Port of Newcastle.
“These formal MoU agreements are also strengthened by the backing of 15 other critical organisations for the Clean Energy Precinct project via Letter of Support or a Letter of Intent for future collaboration,” Carmody said.
“Collectively, these relationships represent key industry support across clean energy production, mobility, export and bunkering, energy generation, transport, infrastructure, offtake, agriculture, education, innovation, research and development.”
MoU agreements have been formalised with:
coNEXA, EnergyCo, Energy Estate, Eurus Energy, Fortescue Future Industries, Hunter Hydrogen Network, KEPCO (Korea), Lake Macquarie City Council, Lumea (Transgrid), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan), MOL Group (Japan), Orica, Origin, Platform Zero (Rotterdam), and the University of Newcastle.
Among those to also pledge their support formally for the Port’s Clean Energy Precinct plans are:
AGL, Ampcontrol, Aurizon, bp Australia, Business Hunter, Hunter iF, Hyundai Australia, Infrabuild , Jemena, Keolis Downer, Linde Engineering, NewH2, Newcastle City Council, Snowy Hydro and Westrac.
Project Lead and the Port’s Chief Commercial Officer, Simon Byrnes, said the Clean Energy Precinct MoU agreements spanned collaboration on the development of inland and offshore wind projects, electricity transmission and water supply, clean energy production, clean energy storage, distribution and export facilities, export and bunkering, skills and training pathways, advanced manufacturing, and innovation hubs.
More recently, the Australian government passed a bill unlocking restrictions on the development of a container terminal at the Port of Newcastle.
