The program aims to accelerate the development of Australia's renewable hydrogen industry, catalyse clean energy industries and help Australia connect to new global hydrogen supply chains, to take advantage of hydrogen's immense jobs and investment potential.

The Program is designed to unlock early-mover projects producing renewable hydrogen and its derivatives, establishing production capabilities and supply chains in Australia to support domestic decarbonisation and development of decarbonised export industries.

The Program Objectives are to: 

• Produce renewable hydrogen at scale in Australia, facilitating an accelerated pathway to the technical and commercial viability of renewable hydrogen production and use. 
• Support domestic decarbonisation, build industry capability, and provide for new economic opportunities in our manufacturing and export industries.
• Provide price discovery and transparency in relation to the current and projected economics for renewable hydrogen (and its derivative products) technologies.
• Reduce barriers for future deployments through developing construction expertise, skilled labour, intellectual property, and attracting key equipment manufacturers and private sector capital (debt, equity and off-take).
• Facilitate knowledge sharing throughout industry to assist with maturing the Australian renewable hydrogen industry.

The total funding allocated for the Program is up to $2 billion. Through the Competitive Round, ARENA intends to provide grant funding to a small number of Projects. ARENA may allocate more or less funding than the Total Funding Allocation, at its discretion.

The Applicant must at the time of applying and throughout the life of the Project hold an Australian Business Number and be either:

• an Australian entity incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth);
• an Australian State or Territory owned corporation, or a subsidiary of an Australian State or Territory owned corporation;
• an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth);
• the Torres Strait Regional Authority or Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation established under the Australian and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (Cth); or
• an Aboriginal Land Council, Aboriginal Land Trust or Torres Strait Islander Land Trust (or equivalent entity) established under Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation.

• Email: hydrogenheadstart@arena.gov.au