Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Chair. I apologise. I will just explain a few things around some of the innovations that we have invested in. We all know that Australia's resources sector is world class. And through the Morrison government's $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative we're actually helping to unlock enormous potential by providing targeted supports for projects that would deliver big rewards for local economies, not only creating more jobs but also generating export opportunities. In July we announced a grant of $4½ million for Batt Mobile Equipment in the Hunter to build heavy battery electric vehicles for underground hard-rock mines. This will deliver Australia's first commercially operationally viable alternative to a diesel fleet. It will catalyse the electrification of global hard-rock mines and deliver emissions reduction as well as safety and productivity outcomes.

One of my favourite organisations that's showing itself to be so innovative throughout the Hunter region is a company called Energy Renaissance. They've been working some great partnerships with the CSIRO, amongst others. They're demonstrating that here in Australia we have all the right skills, natural resources and expertise, and an abundance of solar energy, to create batteries and a renewables manufacturing hub. We know that the economic impact of COVID has created a greater urgency to build industries, create jobs and accelerate our economic recovery, and Energy Renaissance has seen this opportunity for battery manufacturing to take the lead in this. They're building an exciting future where the world is powered by clean, stored energy everywhere, and they're building it right here in Australia.

Back in 2017 Energy Renaissance announced that they would develop Australia's first advanced lithium iron battery manufacturing facility, with funding from private investors and their foundation customers. They're continuing to work with the CSIRO and technology partner Cadenza Innovation as they ramp up their capabilities and capacity to manufacture batteries in Australia that are safe, affordable and optimised to perform in hot climates. The company's supercell and superstorage family of products are designed to perform in hot climates and to be used to power infrastructure, buildings, businesses and homes in both stationary and transport applications. I was absolutely thrilled to visit the site twice this year, including turning the first sod of what will be the lithium iron battery manufacturing centre. This scale and the anticipated market will see their export opportunities grow to an estimated contribution of around $3 billion per annum once our battery market is up and exporting across the world.

Hydrogen hubs are something else the Morrison government is focused on. For those who don't understand, hydrogen is actually a zero-emissions gas. Yet when we wanted to invest in the technology road map and we wanted to look at technology, not taxes, those opposite were more upset about hydrogen, I think, than they were about coal. I just don't understand what's wrong with you people. We know you don't like nuclear and won't put it back on the table at all—