Ms O’CONNOR question to MINISTER for ENERGY and RENEWABLES, Mr DUIGAN
As you would be aware, HIF Global will be powered by a forest furnace plant and requires up to 2 million tonnes of dry wood fibre each year. Are you across what kind of timber would be used for feedstock for this plant?
ANSWER
Mr President, I thank the member for Hobart for the question.
I will quickly take the opportunity to give a little preamble about HIF Global and its plans to construct a green fuel facility in Burnie. It is an exciting potential development for that neck of the woods. The member may be aware that in recent times HIF’s plans for the location of that facility have moved from Hampshire to the old – I think the pot mill site – in Burnie –
Ms Forrest – In my electorate, I will just add.
Mr DUIGAN – In your electorate.
Ms Forrest – Stolen from the member for Montgomery.
Mr DUIGAN – Fantastic. Well done.
It looks like a great prospective use of that site that will bring jobs and investment into the city of Burnie. We are very happy to support what HIF is doing there.
We expect our new large industrial electricity users to partner with new renewable generators in the state to bring forward new electricity generation in the state. In the case of HIF, the proposed electrolyser will have a 280 megawatt‑capacity for the export of green hydrogen, e‑fuels and products of that nature.
As for the element input – if you are making e‑fuels, you’re looking to make hydrocarbons. The hydro comes from green hydrogen production and the carbon comes from Tasmania’s biomass plantation forestry opportunity. It is my understanding that HIF will use, currently, biomass, which is not processed, so it will be a further utilisation of our plantation asset. If production –
Ms Forrest – Residues.
Mr DUIGAN – That’s right – production residues. If more is required, then potentially they may look to play in the market for chip as well. It is a positive use of Tasmania’s natural assets: the deep-water port in Burnie, the opportunity for us to make green hydrogen here, and to make better use of our plantation forestry asset.
