Water Resilience in the Hydrogen Economy: An Australian Perspective

Hydrogen is a promising clean, low-carbon energy (LCE) carrier with the potential to reduce worldwide dependence on fossil fuel resources. Global investment in hydrogen infrastructure is rising and, along with the growth of LCE, demand for the water supply needed to generate the LCE is also expected to intensify. Water is a critical element of hydrogen production. As water scarcity threatens many areas of the globe, water-intensive decarbonization processes will need local sustainable water supply solutions.

Alternative water sources provide a sustainable pathway for water-scarce economies, like Australia, to produce large amounts of green hydrogen. Abundant renewable energy and land are resources that Australia offers. It will also require an enormous amount of high-quality water for hydrogen production.