Countrywide Hydrogen Locks In $8M Funding Deal

Australian renewable hydrogen project developer Countrywide Hydrogen’s goal to be Tasmania’s first major green hydrogen producer has been boosted by the award of an $8 million funding package from the Tasmanian Government through its Green Hydrogen Price Reduction Scheme (GHPRS).

The money will be paid on delivery of green hydrogen to customers from Countrywide’s proposed Tasmanian sites.

Countrywide, part of ASX-listed ReNu Energy, says the announcement is a material step forward for the delivery of its flagship Tasmanian green hydrogen project (Hydrogen HyWay#1), which has the potential to deliver Australia’s first end-to-end hydrogen transport ecosystem.

The GHPRS uses funds from the Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Industry Development Fund and aims to stimulate both the supply and demand for hydrogen by providing a payment per kg of renewable hydrogen produced and sold to cover the gap between production costs and affordable pricing.

This type of funding is a first of its kind in Australia, helping to deliver Countrywide’s green hydrogen at a price that competes with diesel.

“By supporting initiatives like Countrywide’s Tasmanian projects, the Government ensures a stable sale price for green hydrogen, bringing more predictability for end users and advancing the State’s renewable energy objectives,” Countrywide Managing Director Geoff Drucker says.

Countrywide’s initial green hydrogen production and refuelling projects will be near Devonport in the north and Hobart in the south to enable road transport operators and their customers access to zero-emissions freight services to deliver their emissions reductions targets.

“With first production targeted for early 2026 at both sites, we have a book of customers ready to transition to hydrogen-powered vehicles in the heavy transport sector, and a Hydrogen HyWay model that can be copied and pasted throughout the nation,” Drucker says.

The funding package is premised on Countrywide Hydrogen producing hydrogen at multiple locations in Tasmania, with the project initially targeting the heavy road transport sector as well as potential industrial applications, and with the hydrogen produced sold within the Tasmanian market.

The precise details of the funding arrangement will be set out in a grant funding deed to be entered into between the Tasmanian Government and Countrywide Hydrogen.

For more information on the Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Price Reduction Scheme and Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan go to www.recfit.tas.gov.au.

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