Did you know that Australia’s first hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing facility is set to commence construction in Greater Springfield in early 2022?
The $15-million manufacturing facility is a joint project between Australian energy technology company LAVO Hydrogen Technology Limited and fuel cells developer Nedstack.
It is one of the first projects to receive support from the State Government through its Invested in Queensland program, an initiative created under the $3.34-billion Queensland Jobs Fund.
Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said that the project will create up to 200 jobs during its construction, which is expected to be completed by end of 2022, plus nearly 170 operational jobs once the manufacturing facility steps up production by 2026.
He added that the partnership with LAVO is part of the State Government’s COVID recovery plan initiative to push Queensland forward to the next phase of economic growth.
“By supporting this sort of innovation and unlocking greater private investment, we expect to create 5000 jobs over the life of the Invested in Queensland program.
“We welcome LAVO to Queensland, and the new generation of employment opportunities this hydrogen manufacturing facility will bring to our state.”
CEO and Executive Director of LAVO Alan Yu said that the company was encouraged by the Government’s strong commitment to the development of the hydrogen industry and the support of Springfield City Group.
“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,” Allan Yu said.
Apart from the fuel cell facility, LAVO also plans to invest in additional hydrogen-based powered units and other hydrogen components including electrolysers and hydride vessel production. The company expects to deliver all these expansion projects in Queensland by 2024.
The fuel cells produced in the manufacturing plant will be used in the LAVO HESS (Hydrogen Energy Storage System), the world’s first hydrogen energy storage system for homes and businesses which was developed by LAVO and the University of New South Wales.
The LAVO HESS is capable of providing power to a typical household that will last for two days by combining its integrated hybrid hydrogen battery component with rooftop solar to store up to 40kWh of electricity.