The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced funding for Toyota Motor Corporation Australia to start transforming its decommissioned car manufacturing plant in Altona Victoria into a renewable energy hub to produce hydrogen for transport.

The Hydrogen Centre will include solar PV and battery storage to cover the incremental energy requirements for the production of renewable hydrogen through electrolysis and utilisation for both mobile and stationary applications.

The project will produce at least 60 kg of hydrogen per day with on-site solar PV and battery storage to contribute to the incremental energy requirements of the whole site and creates a model for future expansion. Hydrogen could potentially be used as an effective energy storage solution to export to other countries, particularly in Asia, for example, Japan has already set a 10-year strategy to become a large scale importer of renewable hydrogen, as well as a source of motive power for transport.

Toyota Australia’s president and CEO Matt Callachor said, “Right now, the biggest factor to the success of hydrogen being widely available is a lack of infrastructure. The sooner we move to a zero emission society the better, and Toyota is committed to making this a reality.”

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