Bell Bay Hub

Overview

The Tasmanian Government, through its Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub initiative, is progressing a hydrogen hub development focussed on the Bell Bay Area in northern Tasmania.

The Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub initiative is led by the Tasmanian Government and includes consortium partners TasNetworks, TasWater, TasIrrigation, TasPorts and the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone. The Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone is an independent economic development group aiming to support growth and diversification in the area.

Bell Bay is Tasmania’s largest industrial zone and exports around 60% of Tasmania’s manufactured products. It occupies 2,500 hectares and is situated at the port of Bell Bay on the north-eastern shore of the mouth of the Tamar River (just south of George Town and around 50 kilometres north of Launceston).

Along with considerable land availability and access to a deep-water port, renewables-based power supplies are based around considerable wind and hydroelectric sources.

Funding

The Australian Government, through its Regional Hydrogen Hubs Program – Hubs Implementation funding stream, awarded up to AUD$70 million to the Tasmanian Government’s Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub initiative towards establishment of a large-scale hydrogen industry in the Bell Bay area.

In July 2022, the Tasmanian Government indicated that Commonwealth funding for a Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub at Bell Bay (under the Regional Hubs program) would have matching support from the Tasmanian Government working with its Government Business Enterprises (GBEs) and departments. The Tasmanian Government, in collaboration with its business enterprises and proponents, has committed to funding of AUD$230 million towards the Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub initiative.

In January 2024, in a joint release, the Australian and Tasmanian Governments announced that an agreement had been reached for the Australian Government to invest AUD$70 million to develop the Bell Bay hydrogen hub in northern Tasmania. The release noted a combined total investment in the hub of at least AUD$300 million including Commonwealth and Tasmanian Government funding.

Funding will support the provision of the necessary infrastructure for the establishment of renewables-based hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives production and associated facilities at Bell Bay and enable the scaling up of these facilities. This would include the delivery of common-user infrastructure including upgrades across port, water, and electricity transmission, as well as providing funding for appropriate project governance and market activation opportunities.

Hub construction activities are anticipated to be complete in 2028; the hub would enable 45,000 tonnes per annum of renewables-based hydrogen production.

Projects

The Bell Bay area is home to the majority of Tasmanian projects listed in HyResource. These projects include large-scale renewables-based ammonia and methanol production with export potential targeted, industrial heating uses, as well as smaller scale mobility and gas blending projects.

 

Updated: February 2024