The Australian government is funding half of a $3 million (US$2.2 million) study to assess whether its largest coal port could become a gateway to the nation’s global hydrogen export ambitions. The study will consider the best location for hydrogen infrastructure in the Port of Newcastle in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales—a bustling region home to vast coal mining and electricity generation industries, including six coal-fired power stations that help power the nation’s most populous state. The port itself—half-owned by Chinese state investment group, China Merchants Port Holdings—oversees the movement of 164 million tonnes of cargo each year across a total of 4,400 ships, which includes coal shipments that have continued to fuel Australia’s export economy. “This is all about plugging Newcastle into the hydrogen industry, a hydrogen hub we want to see occur in the Hunter,” Morrison said in an interview with 2HD radio. “This is the …