WA Premier Roger Cook's core "Made in WA" election policy will be tested by his use of local content provisions to keep Chevron's WA engineers working in WA.
Green hydrogen produced with renewable energy is seen as a significant future fuel for industry and long-distance transport. Most hydrogen is currently made from methane and emits significant carbon emissions. When a portion of those emissions are captured and stored it is termed blue hydrogen.
Australia cannot compete exporting difficult to transport hydrogen but could use it locally to make low emissions products like ammonia for overseas markets.
WA will be home to two of the largest green hydrogen electrolysers in the world to feed an ammonia plant and inject the clean fuel into the South West gas grid.
Cheaper solar power making green hydrogen production competitive in many countries by 2030 in a boon for use in Australia but a hurdle for dreams of a huge export market.
The cost of storing CO2 produced when hydrogen is made from coal or gas will likely make blue hydrogen uncompetitive against green hydrogen made with renewable electricity, ANU scientists conclude.
The giant $50B Asian Renewable Energy Hub proposed for WA's Pilbara has upsized and switched from providing power to make green ammonia, in Australia's most ambitious hydrogen play.
Woodside has invested in two existing green hydrogen projects chasing Federal funds as it battles changing markets and community concern about climate change.
