Queensland, through the Invested in Queensland programme, has green lit the country’s first hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing facility.
Set to be located in Greater Springfield, the $15 million facility will be built through a joint venture between energy company LAVO Hydrogen Pty Ltd. and Nedstack Australia.
Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said construction of the new facility will begin in early 2022 and is expected to be delivered by the end of the year.
“Up to 200 construction jobs will be created over the next 12 months, and once fuel cell production ramps up there will be almost 170 operational jobs supported here by 2026.
“The fuel cells will be used in the world’s first hydrogen energy storage system for homes and businesses, developed in Australia by LAVO and the University of New South Wales.
Initially, the facility will manufacture proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology for use in LAVO’s world-first Hydrogen Energy Storage System (HESS). It will then expand to produce a range of fuel cells for domestic and international demand for the hydrogen economy.
The LAVO HESS is an integrated hybrid hydrogen battery that can be combined with rooftop solar to store 40kWh of electricity – enough energy to power a typical household for two days.
“Through our research and development, we are taking existing fuel cell technology and introducing integrated solutions to make hydrogen possible for everyday use and for a much wider audience,” CEO and Executive Director of LAVO Alan Yu said
“We will be working to maximise the use of local suppliers in the manufacturing process and will be supplying both domestic and international markets across the residential, off-grid, telecommunications and commercial sectors,” Mr. Yu added.
LAVO’s current focus is on establishing the fuel cell facility but it is proposing to develop more advanced manufacturing capabilities in Queensland by 2024.
