Minister’s foreword
Unlocking the potential of natural and orange hydrogen development in New Zealand offers opportunities for energy resilience, innovation and economic growth.
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Globally, interest in the potential of natural and orange hydrogen as a new energy source is growing. It offers the potential for lower production costs and carbon emissions than other types of hydrogen and could be a solution for hard-to-electrify industries in New Zealand. Developing this resource could be a high-value economic activity, create employment, and support energy security, reliability and resilience.
However, there are still many questions around how natural and orange hydrogen industries will develop. The Government, like other regulators around the world, is keen to understand what is needed to support this emerging industry while also ensuring it operates responsibly.
This discussion document is seeking feedback on key questions and regulatory approaches to unlock the economic opportunities from enabling natural and orange hydrogen development. We are also open to considering alternative ideas and approaches and I encourage you to share your thoughts with us.
The Government is committed to enabling natural and orange hydrogen development in New Zealand. I look forward to a constructive discussion and feedback on this topic.
Hon Shane Jones
Minister for Resources