The Hunter can play a leading role in Australia

"Ampcontrol is at the forefront of a lot of innovative engineering. We are already working extensively in the renewable energy sector and support a Renewable Energy Industrial Precinct here in Gladstone."

Rod Henderson, MD & CEO

"MolyCop is committed to further reducing the carbon emissions associated with our products and operations and Renewable Energy Industrial Precincts here the Hunter will help us achieve that."

Michael Parker - Pres. Australiasia, MolyCop

"We believe that the Hunter Valley can benefit from it's strong manufacturing heritage and workforce to become a renewable energy powerhouse for export to the world."

Joss Kesby - CEO, Diffuse Energy

"MGA Thermal believes the high level of skilled labour, intrinsic knowledge, academic rigour and infrastructure make the Hunter the perfect location to export emission-free manufacturing products to the world."

Arden Jarrett - Marketing Manager, MGA Thermal

"Australia’s competitiveness and prosperity in the clean energy economy depends on the success of the Hunter. We look forward to supporting a REIP in our region and securing the Hunter’s rightful position as Australia’s clean energy capital."

Alice Thompson - CEO, Committee for the Hunter

A Hunter REIP can power the region's industry, workforce and economy

The Hunter's industry is characterised by smart engineering, innovation and collaboration. There are businesses delivering smart energy analytics solutions, niche wind solutions, battery manufacturing, electric vehicle retrofits, an emerging green hydrogen sector, and some of Australia’s biggest industrial-scale users of renewable energy.

Support from NSW Government and industry

The Hunter’s expertise in mining and mining equipment and defence is an existing cluster that is already rapidly innovating and deploying new technologies around these industry opportunities.

The NSW Government’s Industry Opportunity Report highlights opportunities in green hydrogen, green steel, green ammonia, green aluminium, transport and logistics and controlled environmental horticulture.

The government has also outlined its Net Zero Plan and is ready to support the establishment of new industries and upgrades of existing industries to take advantage of emerging opportunities.

The NSW Government’s Clean Manufacturing Precinct (CMP) initiative has encouraged collaboration and focused attention on low-carbon industrial ecosystems.

The Hunter’s existing expertise in developing and manufacturing defence and mining equipment has far wider application.

Ampcontrol

Local company Ampcontrol was built on providing electronic solutions for the mining sector and is now applying their advanced manufacturing capability to innovations such as standalone power systems, remote water filtration, hybrid electric boats, electric vehicles and even emergency ventilators to support NSW Health during the COVID crisis.

3ME Technology

Local company 3ME Technology develops and manufactures batteries for mining vehicles. It collaborated with a local mining equipment specialist called BME to retrofit the Tritev, a diesel-powered 20-tonne Integrated Tool Carrier. This vehicle provides superior performance in the underground mine environment and there is an influx of demand from the industry. This battery retrofit template could be applied to other transport including zero-emissions buses, waste trucks and even ferries.

In addition, the Hunter has a strong capability in the aluminium, steel recycling, and medical technology industries. Across the Hunter, community and industry groups, businesses, researchers and state and local government agencies are working to secure new manufacturing, new markets and new ways to export energy. This includes green hydrogen, green steel, green aluminium, green minerals processing and products manufactured with 100% Australian renewable energy.

Large Workforce

The Hunter has a large workforce and clusters of small and medium enterprises with deep experience in heavy industry. The region’s expertise in mining and mining equipment means that Hunter workers and enterprises are adept at meeting the exacting quality and safety standards required in the mining industry. There is also expertise in steel, aluminium and advanced manufacturing.

Research capability

The Hunter has top research and development capability. CSIRO Energy Centre and the Newcastle Institute of Energy and Resources at the University of Newcastle have a strong track record of industry engagement. The University of Newcastle is consistently ranks among the best research universities in the world. The University’s I2N network helps launch research into commercial opportunities, with recent star projects Diffuse Energy and MGA Thermal. There are 14 TAFE campuses located across the Hunter able to deliver technical and vocational training across a variety of sectors.

The NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap has identified the Hunter as a Renewable Energy Zone (REZ).

The Hunter REZ has an excellent existing transmission infrastructure that can enable access to local renewable generation.

New transmission infrastructure is planned to connect to the Central West Orana REZ (3 GW) and the New England REZ (8 GW).