The official hydrogen event in Rotterdam spoke to the world’s hydrogen and energy leaders about the future outlook for the hydrogen industry, including the CEO of the Australian Hydrogen Council, Fiona Simon.
What message did you share with the audience?
Well, initially I certainly have to say Australia is open for business, so we will very much be talking about the opportunities for Australia to grant large amounts of hydrogen and be able to export it to Europe and elsewhere around the globe. But what I then went on to say was. So how do we get there? What do we do? And let’s go beyond saying we need offtake; we need policy and say well what kind of offtake? What are the short term incremental decisions that people need to make? What are the things that boards are asking for now in order to take that next step?
So, I kind of put a bit of a challenge out to everyone to say, you know, it’s all very well to talk about where we need to be in 10 years in 20. years, but what do we need to do next week? And how do we make that happen? How do we make that happen now in the summit?
Why have you come to the World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition?
Well, we heard it was the place to be and it’s certainly something which the Australian government was saying. We’re putting everything into this big event for Europe, and so I was all in and as you’ll see from the enormous Australian delegation, so is everybody else. So, there’s a huge number of Australians here and that was also the appeal because it gives us this ability to come and talk about Team Australia and to do it with all the right people in the in the room so to speak.
Why is it key to have this global event?
Oh, because we have to collaborate, but you’ll be hearing that constantly, no doubt, we have to. No one can do it on their own. We’ve heard that already this morning. Every party brings something to the table, whether it’s the ability to transport the hydrogen, to receive the hydrogen, to make the hydrogen, to use the hydrogen, we’re trying to create a market here, and everyone has their role to play in the supply chains for those markets. So, because we’re talking about this industry that doesn’t exist at scale, yet everyone needs to be involved, and because we’re talking about energy security and exports and imports, international collaboration is everything.
Produced by the Sustainable Energy Council in partnership with the Port of Rotterdam, the City of Rotterdam and the Province of Zuid Holland, the global event welcomes 8000 industry professionals, 170+ Speakers, 350 Exhibitors and 50 sponsors to share latest news, establish key connections and sign business deals to accelerate the deployment of the hydrogen economy. Register your place among hydrogen pioneers: https://www.world-hydrogen-summit.com/registration/
