Central Queensland – New Green Industry Capital
There has been a growing trend towards clean energy adoption, with resistance against emission-intensive projects such as the Jackdaw gas field protests in 2022.The clean energy investment will form a major role in net zero economic transformation to support Queensland’s quest to become a leading green hydrogen industry. The Queensland Government is providing an early look into the Stanwell Clean Energy Hub transformation of the Stanwell Power Station. Stanwell Corporation will commence work on the project with the construction of the Future Energy and Innovation Training Hub (FEITH). This project sits inside the State Government’s massive $19 billion commitment for renewable energy.
The new hub, FEITH, is valued at $100 million with a footprint the size of a shopping centre. FEITH is expected to provide facilities for innovations and new energy technologies testing (wind, solar, hydrogen and battery storage). Battery storage has come up recently as a viable source of renewable energy, as evidenced by Form Energy’s battery plant in West Virginia. The FEITH project has three purposes which include:
- Commercialisation Testing
- Incubation and acceleration space for pilot energy projects
- Testing of new technology and develop and drive it to a commercialisation stage
- Research and Development
- A trial site for experimentation, development, and testing of heat induction bending services
- A space to explore technologies targeted for specific energy solutions for specific purposes
- A feeder for technologies to be integrated into clean energy hubs
Some of the other purposes of the FEITH project include the following: –
- Training and Education
- Training, upskilling and micro-credentials for Stanwell staff and other industry workers
- Enhancing apprenticeship learning opportunities
- A demonstration centre where community members, education providers and schools can learn about emerging energy technologies
- web-Stanwell Clean Energy Hub
- LRStanwell Clean Energy Hub
The project is proposed to be built in phases over a five-year period. Works will start later this year and early works will involve the establishment of common infrastructure as well as civil works.