Wollongong-based startup Hysata has been awarded AU$20.9 million (US$13.5 million) from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to demonstrate their next-generation hydrogen electrolysers at a commercial scale.
Hysata will develop and test a 5MW unit at their new manufacturing facility in Port Kembla.
The electrolyser array will then be installed in situ for further testing and validation before it is relocated to Queensland.
The demonstration unit will be installed adjacent to the Stanwell coal power station near Rockhampton in Queensland. The site is being provided by state-owned power company Stanwell Corporation, which is also backing the project with AU$3 million (US$1.94 million)
Initial development of the system is currently underway, with the field pilot at Stanwell due to commence in 2025.
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Hysata’s next-gen electrolyser
Hysata’s proprietary ‘capillary fed’ electrolyser cell eliminates almost all resistance in the electrolysis process, minimising energy losses from electrical resistance and gaseous bubbles forming on electrodes.
Hysata’s technology has been proven to produce hydrogen with 95% (41.5 kWh/kg) efficiency, which therefore has the potential to reduce the cost of renewable hydrogen production through reduced electricity inputs.
The technology also offers lower balance of plant costs, according to Hysata, due to reduced electrical resistance resulting reduced cooling requirements.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller commented: “This electrolyser technology could be a game-changer for renewable hydrogen.
“The demonstration at Stanwell’s site will be key to unlocking commercial demand for Hysata’s product by proving the technology works at scale.”
ARENA previously awarded Hysata AU$8.98 million (US$5.81 million) under the German-Australian HyGATE programme. That grant is helping Hysata develop a 200kWelectrolyser system that will demonstrate the key components of the 5MW commercial scale demonstration unit.
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Australia’s hydrogen economy
Currently, the main use of hydrogen in Australia is as a raw input to industrial processes, according to ARENA.
However, hydrogen holds great potential to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, in use in chemical and fertiliser production and transport, as well as for grid firming purposes. Green hydrogen could also be exported as a liquified gas or as green ammonia.
To develop the sector, the government, together with industry, has done a great deal of research into market potential and based on that developed a National Hydrogen Strategy which will be updated this year.
The government has also established the AU$2 billion (US$1.29 billion) Hydrogen Headstart initiative which aims to scale up local, large green hydrogen projects.
The country is currently in the process of creting hydrogen hubs and highways, expanding grid infrastructure to accommodate hydrogen, and establishing a Guarantees of Origin scheme to verify and track emissions.