April 2023 NewsFlash - AGA

April 2023 NewsFlash

  • 07-05-2023

  • News

AGA NewsFlash

Green Hydrogen Readiness Survey Extended

Research of Hydrogen Fuel Cells in Transportation

The State of Hydrogen Report

Standards Update

Green Hydrogen Readiness Survey extended until 26th May 2023

We are pleased to announce that the Green Hydrogen Readiness Survey has been extended until the 26th of May 2023. This will provide more time for stakeholders to share their insights and perspectives on the upcoming changes in the hydrogen transition area.

Climate change is a growing concern and challenge for the global community and as a result, there has been an increasing push towards renewable energy sources. The hydrogen transition developments have progressed significantly recent years. AGA understands the significance of this transition and recognises the importance of working closely with industry stakeholders to ensure a smooth and successful transition.

The insights gathered from the survey will help identify potential gaps and challenges that need to be addressed. This will enable the industry to better prepare for the changes ahead and facilitate the transition to green hydrogen.

Research of Hydrogen Fuel Cells in Transportation

Further research for the use of hydrogen as energy has been successfully approved and now in development at the Deakin campus at Warnambool, Victoria. The Hycel Technology Hub which is expected to complete construction in late 2023 aims to provide a multitude of services including: research, testing, optimisation and training within the facility. The hub was developed to support Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy which aims to significantly reduce Australia’s carbon emissions and become net zero by 2050.

The Hycel Technology Hub will focus on fuel cell technology which can be widely advantageous for use in the transportation industry. Fuel cells work by feeding hydrogen to either an anode or cathode depending on the catalyst that is used and separates the hydrogen molecules into electrons and protons. The electrons pass through an external circuit where electricity is generated, and the hydrogen protons are often reacted with oxygen in most cases to produce water.

The major advantages fuels cells provide as alternative source of fuel in transportation include: zero greenhouse gas emissions, rapid charging times, similar to that of internal combustion engines (ICE), greater range and efficiencies than that of ICE’s and are not affected by outside temperatures which often results in a loss or deterioration of energy. For this reason, the use of hydrogen has significant advantages in remote locations where hydrogen can be stored as energy and used in demand for either mobile or stationary applications.

Both Deakin’s and Warnambool’s ambitions continue to lead the advancement of this technology with future plans to construct a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses and to replace current diesel engines, as well as construct supporting infrastructure including hydrogen refuelling stations. The success of deploying public hydrogen fuel cell buses will be both a first and large milestone for Australia and further support industrial sectors by helping Australia achieve its decarbonisation targets.

The State of Hydrogen Report

The State of Hydrogen 2022 report, released in April 2023, is an annual review of Australia’s clean hydrogen industry development performance, as required under the National Hydrogen Strategy.
The report covers various aspects of Australia’s hydrogen industry, including its pathway for a clean hydrogen future and the development of the industry so far. It also looks at how it compares to the rest of the world and what governments around Australia are doing to advance the industry. 

The report also indicates that more than 100 Australian green hydrogen projects, such as green ammonia and green methanol manufacturing, were announced, which is more than double the projects announced in 2021. There are also 48 announced major hydrogen projects for Australia which represent a pipeline of hydrogen major project investment of $302 billion.

To download and read the full report, please click here.

Latest Standards Updates

The following Standards are out for public comment until the 29th May 2023: 

5263.1.4:2017 Amd 1 – Gas Appliances, Part 1.4: Radiant gas heaters

AS/NZS 5263.1.7:2020 Amd 1 – Gas appliances, Part 1.7: Domestic outdoor gas cooking appliances

AS/NZS 5263.1.10:2019 Amd 1 – Gas appliances, Part 1.10: Gas direct fired air heaters

AS/NZS 5263.1.11:2020 Amd 1 – Gas appliances, Part 1.11: Small gas engine driven appliances\

If you would like to submit any comments, you may forward them directly through to Standards Australia – See following guide: Click Here 

The following Standard was published on 30 Nov 2022

EN 298:2022 – Automatic burner control systems for burners and appliances burning gaseous or liquid fuels