The Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng, Taribelang Bunda Peoples Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (PBC) is the trustee of the native title rights of the Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng, and Taribelang Bunda people who together make up the native title claim group in the Bundaberg, Gladstone and North Burnett local government areas in Queensland.
The Port Curtis Coral Coast Trust (PCCC) provides administrative and operational support to the PBC and represents the Traditional Owners including managing all Native Title, Future Act and Cultural Heritage matters.
In June 2023, the PBC signed an MOU with Hydrogen Utility® (H2U) for the H2-Hub™ Gladstone project, proposed on land H2U purchased in 2020 in the Yarwun region of the Gladstone State Development Area, Queensland.
The MOU suggests the co-design of a portfolio of initiatives that will be included as part of the final investment decision (FID), to deliver long-term economic benefits and participation opportunities for Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng, Taribelang Bunda Peoples. Those initiatives include partnering in the co-design of cultural heritage management practices for H2-Hub™ Gladstone and working together to identify and jointly select opportunities for shared benefits and participation arising from the project.
The H2-Hub™ project is a proposed multi-billion dollar renewable energy complex producing green hydrogen and green ammonia, with a planned capacity of up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of electrolysis and up to 5,000 tonnes per day of green ammonia production, and seeking to export green hydrogen and green ammonia from Queensland to help cut emissions in power stations in Korea. An MOU was signed in 2022 by H2U and Korea East West Power Co., a subsidiary of the Korea energy giant KEPCO.
H2U has reportedly announced additional strategic collaborations and green ammonia offtake with partners, including Orica Australia and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI Group).
A draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project is currently being prepared by the proponent.
H2-HubTM Gladstone is scheduled for operational activity to begin late 2025, construction in 2026, with the latter expansion phase to take place between 2027-2030.