A tripartite approach to unlock Australia’s green hydrogen export potential to create sustainable hydrogen supply chains in Australia, France and Japan

Achieving aviation decarbonisation will require new fuels, new supply chains and new forms of international cooperation.

Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) sit at the centre of this shift, driven by existing blending mandates in the EU, ongoing policy development across Asia, including Japan, and the increasing emphasis on fuel sovereignty and alternative fuels in France, Australia and Japan. Yet for industrial consortia and investors, the path from opportunity to commercial project remains difficult to navigate.

The HYPACT project proposes the development of a decision-support tool, leveraging the Australia–Japan corridor, designed to help Franco-Australian industrial consortia to develop project opportunities in the hydrogen-derived sectors, with a focus on SAF encompassing e-fuels and biofuels.

 

The techno economic modelling and the indicators/metrics developed under this project aim to provide public and private investors with greater visibility on key project parameters (required investment levels, technology maturity, costs and markets), and to identify international cooperation opportunities for the development of eSAF and eBioSaf production projects

The HYPACT project also proposes the development of a supply chain readiness assessment for the benefit of France, Japan and Australia.

The project aims to strengthen trilateral collaboration through engaging decision-makers — political, industrial, and financial — across the three countries. By presenting the collaboration opportunities identified through the project and gathering their input, it seeks to build momentum, foster alignment, and catalyse the development of concrete trilateral projects as next steps.

“This collaboration represents an important step forward in advancing global hydrogen innovation,” said Dr Julie Mougin, Deputy Director for Hydrogen Technologies at CEA, and Gordon Chakaodza, Director of the Victoria Hydrogen Hub (VH2). They added, “by combining the strengths of France and Australia, we will generate vital data and insights that open opportunities for companies to engage in three of the world’s most significant hydrogen markets.”

Partners:  CEA, France Hydrogène, Victorian Hydrogen Hub (VH2), Vireo Energy.

CHALIA: Condensation of Humid Air during Loss of Insulation Accident in LH2 tanks

he CHALIA project is tackling one of the biggest challenges in clean energy: making liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage safer and more affordable. While LH2 offers zero emissions and high energy for heavy-duty transport, it also comes with risks - like pressure build-up, boil-off gas loss, and potential tank rupture. Current understanding of transient behaviour following tank failure remains limited, and accurate predictions of boil-off rates, even under normal operating conditions, require further improvement. This international collaboration between FEnEx CRC, CEA, and UWA is developing advanced tools, experiments, and simulations to better understand and predict LH2 behaviour during normal use and accidents. The project combines lab-scale testing with full-scale tank trials to improve safety standards, reduce storage losses, and support wider adoption of hydrogen.

“This isn’t just about safety - it’s about unlocking hydrogen’s full potential as a clean energy solution. By understanding how LH2 behaves during storage, we can make it safer, cheaper, and ready for the real world.”

Commented Professor Eric May, Future Energy Exports (FenEx) CRC. 

Partners: Future Energy Exports CRC, CEA, University of Western Australia