Deakin University’s Hycel will investigate the hydrogen opportunities for dairy industries in Australia and Uruguay thanks to the support of a Commonwealth Government’s Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR) grant.
The landmark COALAR hydrogen dairy project will be led by the Hycel team at Deakin’s Warrnambool campus, Deakin’s Latin American office in Montevideo, Uruguay and delivered in partnership with Food and Fibre Great South Coast.
Hycel is a regional hub of hydrogen expertise located in Victoria’s south west along a key transport corridor that connects industries, communities, and resources. Hydrogen hubs are a core element of Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy and provide industry with a springboard to scale.
The project combines Hycel’s industry-led hydrogen leadership with Food and Fibre Great South Coast’s agricultural networks to produce a hydrogen dairy industry feasibility study, global webinar and key message campaign.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin said that the project exemplified Deakin’s industry-led research approach and its ability to deliver impact both locally and globally.
“Deakin’s research aims to deliver lasting value to communities and industry. Hycel’s new project aptly demonstrates how we are pursuing this goal, connecting dairy industries in south west Victoria and Uruguay to explore hydrogen opportunities that have positive economic and environmental impacts,” Professor Martin said.
Natalie Collard, Executive Officer Food and Fibre Great South Coast said that this project focusses on laying the foundations to understand hydrogen’s broad application for dairy industries so that the region can capitalise on a market estimated to be worth US $2.5 trillion by 2050.
“Hydrogen is an emerging market with enormous potential and mapping the opportunities for key industries such as dairy in these early stages means that our south west Victorian region can be at the forefront of innovation” Ms Collard said.
With a focus on technologies that use hydrogen rather than processes to produce it, Hycel is working with researchers, industry, government, and community to ready Australia for the hydrogen economy.
The Establishment phase of Hycel is backed with $2 million in Commonwealth Government funding, announced by Education Minister and Member for Wannon the Hon Dan Tehan MP, in December 2019.
