Providing reliable and affordable power to remote parts of the world has long been a challenge.
For much of Australia, Solar panels provide the lowest cost power, while wind turbines are also low cost, but they are both intermittent and therefore unreliable, so the problem in both cases is how to reliably supply electricity when needed.
Increasingly, as a result of improvements in technology, research and development, Hydrogen can be produced on-site to provide energy when the sun is not shining /wind not blowing and is therefore emerging as the new fuel source to power remote locations, leveraging its potential as a clean, abundant and versatile energy source.Delivering reliable and affordable power to remote regions has long been one of Australia’s toughest infrastructure challenges. Vast distances, harsh environments and limited grid access make it costly and complex to sustain continuous electricity supply.
For many remote communities, mines, and industrial operations, solar and wind energy offer the lowest-cost generation options. Yet their intermittency—when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow—creates a persistent reliability gap. The question remains: how do we provide consistent, clean energy at all hours of the day?
An increasingly compelling answer is hydrogen.
Hydrogen: Closing the Renewable Gap
Advances in hydrogen technology are transforming how off-grid energy systems can operate. By producing hydrogen on-site from renewable energy sources, excess solar or wind power can be stored as hydrogen and later converted back into electricity when required. This approach allows remote areas to maintain continuous, low-emission power, while reducing dependence on costly diesel generation and long fuel supply chains.
Hydrogen’s appeal lies in its flexibility and sustainability. It can be generated, stored, transported, and used for power generation or mobility, making it a genuine multi-purpose energy carrier.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells: Power on Demand
In standalone or hybrid systems, hydrogen fuel cells can deliver stable electricity to remote sites. These systems store surplus renewable energy as hydrogen, which can then be fed into fuel cells to generate power during periods of low sunlight or wind. The result is a clean, quiet, and highly efficient energy solution that can operate off-grid with minimal maintenance.
For critical remote infrastructure—such as mining operations, communications networks, and defence or emergency installations—fuel cells offer an increasingly viable alternative to diesel generators, particularly as costs continue to fall.
Producing Hydrogen: Green Pathways Emerging
Electrolysis remains the leading pathway for generating “green hydrogen”. By using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, producers can create a clean fuel with zero carbon emissions.
While Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) is still the most common method of hydrogen production globally, it is carbon-intensive. However, projects incorporating carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are helping reduce its environmental impact—especially where renewable electricity is not yet available.
Australia is well-positioned to lead in green hydrogen production thanks to its abundant solar and wind resources, rapidly declining renewable costs, and a growing ecosystem of innovation across the hydrogen supply chain.
Integrating Hydrogen with Renewables
Hydrogen’s greatest value in remote applications lies in its ability to store and smooth renewable energy supply. Excess electricity from solar or wind installations can be used to produce hydrogen, which can then be stored indefinitely and converted back to electricity when needed.
This integration not only enhances energy security for off-grid operations but can also help stabilize microgrids, reducing fluctuations and improving efficiency. In time, hydrogen could even underpin small-scale community energy networks in regions traditionally underserved by the grid.
Transport and Distribution: Bringing Hydrogen to the Edge
Moving hydrogen remains a logistical challenge. Because of its low energy density, it must be compressed or liquefied for transport, often requiring heavy-duty containment systems and specialist infrastructure.
Nevertheless, progress is being made. Modular hydrogen systems now allow localised production and storage, eliminating the need for large-scale transport. This model suits mine camps, agricultural operations, and remote communities, where hydrogen can be generated on-site and used for both power and transport fuel.
Hydrogen-powered vehicles—ranging from heavy trucks to off-road machinery—are also emerging as practical solutions for operations that rely on dependable fuel sources but need to reduce emissions.
The Road Ahead
While challenges remain—chiefly production costs, infrastructure investment, and transport logistics—ongoing research and development is rapidly improving efficiency and scalability across the hydrogen value chain.
Government initiatives and private-sector investment are accelerating demonstration projects across regional Australia, signalling growing confidence in hydrogen’s commercial potential.
With continued innovation, hydrogen could soon become a cornerstone of remote energy resilience, providing clean, round-the-clock power where traditional infrastructure cannot reach.
The prospect is clear: hydrogen is no longer just a future fuel—it’s fast becoming a practical solution for powering the most remote parts of the world.
PrimaryMarkets provides investors with access to companies that are shaping the future of hydrogen and standing at the forefront of the clean energy revolution. We provide access to opportunities previously only accessible to institutional investors.
We have seen and currently have on the PrimaryMarkets Platform a number of Hydrogen opportunities, both via hydrogen companies raising capital and share trading opportunities.
PrimaryMarkets has raised capital for companies developing some of the most important advances in hydrogen power, including Hydrogenus Energy, whose hydrogen fuelled gensets can also be utilized as backup power sources, providing power during outages or supplementing intermittent renewable energy sources. Australian developed, the Hydrogenus internal combustion engine/generator operates safely, effectively and efficiently using low pressure Hydrogen injection as its only fuel and emits zero carbon and no other dangerous pollutants.
PrimaryMarkets exemplifies how innovation can transform the way we invest, trade and raise capital by breaking down traditional barriers, providing liquidity solutions and promoting transparency.
As the Platform continues to grow and evolve it promises to unlock even more opportunities for investors and the companies shaping the future of economies.