Hydrogen and E-fuels:
the right choice for Tasmania?
Green hydrogen and e-fuel is being pitched as Australia’s next big export industry. But is it the answer for reducing our emissions? And is it right for Tasmania, which is set to house some of the first hydrogen and e-fuel projects in the country?
Two e-fuel projects are being proposed in northern Tasmania. These facilities will make green hydrogen from renewable energy and then create e-fuel by adding forest biomass. But these two projects may not be as green as they seem.
What does this have to do with forests?
Forest biomass is needed to turn hydrogen into e-fuels, and both of the proposed projects claim they will use waste from plantations. However, there is only enough waste materials from plantations to meet 40% of these facilities' needs. Conservationists are concerned that the rest of the forest biomass will come from native forests.
What does this mean for native forests?
There are simply not enough sustainable sources of plantation biomass to feed these facilities. Conservation groups are concerned that the additional biomass will come from native forests, where government subsidies already create a cheap supply of low-quality woodchips.
Only one of the companies, ABEL Energy, have made a statement that biomass will not come from native forests. But will these statements hold up when there is simply not enough plantation biomass to go around? Furthermore, the Tasmanian Government has big plans to develop hydrogen and e-fuels across the state, so these two facilities may be only the beginning.
What does this mean for the climate?
We need to take urgent action on climate change. While green hydrogen could have a limited role in reducing our emissions, we need to be careful that an e-fuel industry does not expand native forest logging. A huge amount of emissions come from native forest logging. The best climate solution is that our forests are protected.
What other issues are there?
These two facilities will use a lot of energy. Over 50% of the energy is lost in the process of converting renewable energy to e-fuels. Around 260 new wind turbines will be needed to power these plants.
We are 100% supportive of wind farms and renewable energy, however all developments do have some impact on the environment. A hydrogen and e-fuel export industry would mean a massive roll out of renewables across the state. We are much better off using our renewable energy to power local industries in Tasmania, rather than wasting it in inefficient processes to create e-fuels and sending it off overseas.
How can you help?
Please write to your local MP and the Resources Minister, Eric Abetz, and tell them that you do not want native forests used as biomass for e-fuels. It is important that the Tasmanian Government rules out the use of native forest biomass for these new industries.