Australian Energy Minister Bowen criticizes Gupta over management of Whyalla plant
Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen called the announcement of the loss of hundreds of jobs at the steelworks in Whyalla deeply concerning. He said the company’s former owner, Sanjeev Gupta, had let down the residents of South Australia through poor management of the plant.
Minister’s statement
Bowen made these remarks during the 7.30 program on Monday evening. This was reported by ABC News Australia. The minister linked his assessment to the report of hundreds of job cuts at the Whyalla facility.
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Prospects for green hydrogen
Responding to a question about the future of green hydrogen, Bowen said its rollout in Australia and around the world was proceeding more slowly than had been forecast three or four years ago. According to him, the technology has also proved more expensive, and its cost has not fallen as quickly as was expected several years ago.
At the same time, the minister stressed that green hydrogen has a future in Australia and globally. He said the technology could help decarbonize heavy industry, reduce gas use and create jobs. As an example, Bowen mentioned a green hydrogen production project that Orica is developing on Kooragang Island in Newcastle.
