HFCAS Business Mission to Perth, Mar 2023
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association Singapore (HFCAS) led a total of 25 delegations to Perth for their first business mission after 2020 (business mission to Japan). The business mission was a week-long event from 20th Mar, 2023 to 24th Mar, 2023.
The Western Australian (WA) government has launched the renewable hydrogen strategy in Jul 2019, followed by The WA Renewable Hydrogen Roadmap in Nov 2020, to support the growth of the emerging renewable hydrogen industry in practical and strategic ways. WA's abundant solar and wind resources make hydrogen a viable option for energy export, and building a domestic industry would help to transition to a low carbon future. Mega scale projects like the Asia Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) aim to produce 1.6 million tons of green hydrogen using 26GW of solar and wind power. There are a significant number of Australian companies involved in green hydrogen projects, providing investment opportunities, collaboration and partnerships, and export markets for local technologies and solutions. The recent signing of the Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement in October 2022 further highlights the commitment to developing a sustainable hydrogen industry.
Focus of this business mission includes:
Understand the West Australian Hydrogen Policies and Plans
Discussions on safety issues and mitigating measures
Visits to companies to learn about ongoing efforts and explore business opportunities
Site visits to ongoing projects
R&D opportunities for research performers
Explore training collaboration for Pre-employment and Continuing Education focusing on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell
The delegation comprises of representatives and executives from local startups, SMEs, LLEs and MNCs, as well as research institutes and government agencies.
The Western Australian (WA) Government Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI) warmly welcomed the delegation, which marked the beginning of the business mission. The visit helped the delegation to further understand how WA government’s policy and regulations could help facilitate project developments. Additionally, we were informed about how the government collaborates with project owners to ensure the safe and responsible development of hydrogen projects. During the business mission, we were honored to meet with Hon. Bill Johnston MLA, who is the Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Energy, Corrective Services, and Industrial Relations in Western Australia, as well as the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation, and Safety. These meetings provided valuable insights into Western Australia's strategies and policies for energy and decarbonisation, particularly in traditional industries such as oil and gas and mining.
During the business mission, the delegates also visited various Australia companies - Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy, Fertilisers (WesCEF), Infinite Green Energy, Hazer Group, GexCon, Arup, Fortescue Future Industries, ATCO, and Woodside Energy, which shared with us their experiences and expertise on hydrogen project developments.
The most noteworthy event of the business mission is expected to be the welcome reception organized by the City of Perth in partnership with the WA Singapore Business Council (WASBC) at the Council House. It was a privilege to have Singapore High Commissioner to Australia, His Excellency Mr Anil Kumar Nayar, Jessica Shaw MLA, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier, Sally Dawkins, State Director for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to be with the HFCAS delegates at the Council House. Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas took the opportunity to highlight the importance of hydrogen in energy transition for a more sustainable future.
Numerous engaging discussions during this business mission are expected to lead to new collaborations and business prospects. We are enthusiastic about working closely with our Western Australia counterparts in the future to expedite the achievement of the net-zero targets for both regions.
