In a recent report, climate change think tank, Beyond Zero Emissions, outlined how manufacturing can benefit from renewable energy investment in the Northern Territory (NT).
The report pointed towards opportunities for manufacturers who seek to power their operations with renewable energy is one of these opportunities, as is the potential to reduce the cost of mining operations via investment in renewable energy. In addition, the opportunity for remote communities to rely upon their own micro-energy networks, rather than diesel, is part of the vision.
In the implementation of this vision, the report identifies that the building of 7 gigawatts of large scale solar would create 280 manufacturing jobs, while 1.7 gigawatts of wind energy would produce 540 jobs in the manufacture of wind turbines and components.
In total, the report identifies the potential to create 8000 new jobs, including 750 in mineral processing, 200 in renewable energy exports and a similar number in renewable powered manufacturing. Beyond Zero Emissions predicts that investment in renewable hydrogen will create 960 direct jobs and 2830 indirect jobs.
These employment opportunities are based on the trajectory that Beyond Zero Emissions puts forward (for the NT to produce 10 gigawatts of energy) entirely from renewables by 2030. This is ten times the NT’s current electricity generation capabilities. The power would be generated through hydrogen, solar and wind instead of shale gas, which had its two-year moratorium in the territory lifted on June 12.