Adelaide Officials Lock In Hydrogen Jobs Plan Funding By Late August

The South Australian government will decide this month whether to fast-track a new hydrogen electrolyser facility at Port Adelaide or shift priority to an expansion at the existing Whyalla site.

The choice carries weight because federal AUKUS funding flows begin in the next quarter and the state hydrogen jobs plan already lists 2,400 direct positions tied to those contracts. Delaying either risks losing matching Commonwealth grants that expire on 30 September.

Port Adelaide versus Whyalla options

Port Adelaide’s inner harbour offers direct access to the defence shipyards on Mersey Road and existing high-voltage lines running under Commercial Road. Whyalla’s advantage lies in its proximity to the Olympic Dam uranium expansion rail spur, which could carry both ore and future green hydrogen feedstock. Local planning staff at the Department for Energy and Mining have prepared cost estimates for each location that differ by roughly $180 million in upfront grid upgrades.

Numbers that will shape the call

Interstate migration added 11,400 residents to greater Adelaide in the 2025 financial year, with 38 percent settling in the western suburbs near the proposed Port Adelaide site. Lot Fourteen’s current tenant list includes seven defence contractors already seeking 12,000 square metres of additional secure floor space. A decision to proceed at either location would trigger compulsory acquisition notices along the chosen corridor within 45 days.

Residents and businesses along those routes can check the department’s online portal next week for the shortlisted corridors and register for briefings scheduled at the Port Adelaide Town Hall on 22 July and the Whyalla Civic Centre on 24 July. Final submissions close 5 August.