Briefing Paper: Exploring Renewable Hydrogen for Tasmania

In this short Briefing Paper we consider a number of issues in response to the Draft Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan, published November 2019. Our research team has been exploring the potential role renewable hydrogen could play in bolstering Australia’s and Tasmania’s energy autonomy and energy security. We are a social science research team, comprising expertise in law, industrial economics, public policy, private governance, sociology and human geography. The Draft Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan (hereafter ‘the Action Plan’) sets out an ambitious plan for renewable hydrogen in Tasmania, which makes use of the natural attributes of Tasmania as well as its existing energy infrastructure. Here we briefly review the Action Plan and highlight additional perspectives on the potential role of renewable hydrogen in Tasmania.