Leading low-carbon liquid fuels (LCLF) company HAMR Energy was today shortlisted for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s (ARENA) Hydrogen Headstart Round 2.

It is an important milestone for HAMR Energy as it develops projects that will deliver significant economic benefits, enhance Australia’s energy security and support the shipping and aviation industries to decarbonise. The company is at the centre of the LCLF industry which is increasingly important as Australia aims to bolster its sovereign capabilities in domestic fuel production and reduce its dependence on imports.

HAMR Energy’s Portland Renewable Fuels (PRF), in regional Victoria, will use residues from the local plantation forestry industry to produce 300,000 tonnes per annum of low carbon methanol. Hydrogen enhances production and is already successfully used in similar refineries around the world to produce low carbon methanol.

To produce jet fuel, HAMR Energy is progressing site selection in South Australia for the country’s first large-scale methanol-to-jet fuel facility, with production capacity of 140 million litres per annum.

Hydrogen Headstart is designed to fund large-scale hydrogen production projects to accelerate development of Australia’s renewable hydrogen industry, catalyse clean energy industries and help Australia connect to new global hydrogen supply chains. HAMR Energy’s PRF has been shortlisted as one of seven projects to submit a full application for funding.

Generating hundreds of construction jobs and ongoing skilled roles to provide new employment pathways, PRF and the Jet Fuels facility will deliver long-term economic and community benefits, as well as supporting the plantation forestry sector by providing an additional revenue source.

The Australian Government announced Hydrogen Headstart Round 2 would be progressing in its 2026-27 Budget, which also outlined additional measures to support domestic clean fuel production, including a demand-side measure.

David Stribley, Co-founder of HAMR Energy, said: “Being shortlisted for Hydrogen Headstart is another step towards achieving HAMR Energy’s goal of strengthening Australia’s fuel security by producing clean fuel for shipping and aviation right here. We welcome the support from ARENA and the government’s focus on this area that is critical to boosting resilience and recognises Australia’s unparalleled opportunity to use our abundant renewable resources to power our future economy.

“LCLF produced using hydrogen is a real-world use case where there is existing and rapidly growing demand from major industries including shipping and aviation. Just as important as the Hydrogen Headstart program is the Budget announcement that government will progress a demand mechanism. This is critical to scale the LCLF industry. With both in place, domestic production can flourish, enhancing fuel security, creating jobs and reducing emissions.”

Learn more about the Hydrogen Headstart: https://arena.gov.au/news/arena-shortlists-major-projects-to-scale-australias-renewable-hydrogen-industry/