Island “ignored” by bay hydrogen project plans

Bass Coast has been snubbed by the proponents of Western Port’s controversial hydrogen project, after failing to be invited to a meeting of impacted mayors.

As previously reported by the Advertiser, the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) Project in Western Port is the largest hydrogen demonstration project in the world, with Latrobe Valley brown coal turned into hydrogen gas, transported to the Port of Hastings, liquefied, cooled to minus 253C, then shipped to Japan.

The HESC project, owned by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), is now in its commercial demonstration phase.

Last month KHI hosted the Mayors of Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, Latrobe City Council, and the Japanese City of Kawasaki at the HESC Pilot Project site in Hastings.

The mayors toured the Suiso Frontier, the world’s first liquefied hydrogen (LH2) carrier, which delivered the volatile LH2 from Western Port to Japan in 2022.

Bass Coast Shire’s former mayor Cr Michael Whelan said he hadn’t been invited to the event.

“We tend to get ignored on issues involving the Port of Hastings despite there being compelling evidence the range of activities considered for the port impact the Phillip Island visitor economy,” Cr Whelan said.

“Given Kawasaki is using brown coal to produce hydrogen it is not a clean climate friendly fuel and would not have had my support.

“Green hydrogen is produced from renewable energy not highly polluting brown coal.”

A spokesperson for the HESC told the Advertiser the three mayors were invited because of the locations of the project facilities.

“We look forward to providing the Bass Coast Shire councillors and executive an update on the project’s overall progress in the near future,” the spokesperson said.

The Victorian and federal governments contributed a combined $100 million into the pilot phase. 

Earlier this year the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released its report into a “serious incident” fire onboard the ship in January 2022, while it was carrying the highly volatile hydrogen in Western Port.

The ATSB report found the failure of an incorrectly fitted electrical valve led to the “brief propagation of flame from a liquified hydrogen carrier gas combustion unit’s vent stack” on the ship’s deck.