The Australian government announced on March 12 the first milestone in a plan to supply clean hydrogen to Japan by commencing hydrogen production at a facility in the state of Victoria. The world-first pilot is part of the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) Project, an Australia-Japanese joint venture seeking to establish a steady supply of hydrogen from a facility in the Latrobe Valley, in Victoria’s eastern region. But the project is raising concern over its execution—by burning coal—and its plan to implement carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The use of hydrogen gas in industrial processes has long been suggested as a carbon-emission-free alternative for many industrial purposes, ranging from steelworks to transportation. This is important as both Japan and Australia have made commitments to the Paris Agreement, an agreement with the United Nations for countries to lower carbon emissions. Japan is placing hydrogen at the forefront of its plan to achieve …