Hydrogen Plant

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (14:35): My question is to the Premier. Will the hydrogen plant be delivered on time and on budget? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PATTERSON: Prior to the 2022 state election, Labor promised to build their $593 million hydrogen facility by December 2025.

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia: You don't need notes.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:35): Everyone needs notes; we are all human. It is fair to say that every infrastructure program in the state is facing complexities. This project is no different. As the Premier said earlier this week, we are in procurement for the Hydrogen Jobs Plan. That procurement is not yet completed. When it does complete, we will make a full and frank statement to the public about our expectations.

We are committed to building a hydrogen facility in the Upper Spencer Gulf. We are committed to building a brand-new generator. That generator is critical. That generator has been mentioned by AEMO as being a critical piece of infrastructure. When members opposite privatised the back-up generators the previous Weatherill government bought, we saw displacement within the grid. We saw our thermal capacity drop and no new capacity in the system, which means that we are now short. What we have also seen, through the former government's pressing of the interconnection to New South Wales, is more generation come off the system, so these pieces of infrastructure are critical and we are determined to deliver them.