Hysata Capillary-fed’ Electrolyser Commercial-Scale Demonstration Project
- $20.85m Funded by ARENA
- $47.53m Total project cost
Summary
The project will develop, build, and demonstrate an efficient, capillary-fed water electrolyser and balance-of-plant at commercial 5 MW scale. The demonstration will be validated near Stanwell’s power station in Rockhampton.
Need
Renewable hydrogen presents a pathway for Australia to become a leader in energy export, while simultaneously achieving Australia’s target of net zero by 2050.
Currently the hydrogen industry is largely reliant on hydrogen derived from fossil fuels. This hydrogen is extensively used in the production of fertilisers, methanol, and refining, contributing significantly to global emissions. As we strive towards a future with net-zero emissions, it is crucial that we move towards zero-emission renewable hydrogen and extend its application into new sectors such as steel manufacturing, aluminium, and energy export. Renewable hydrogen, generated through the process of electrolysis using renewable electricity, could play a substantial role in helping us reach our emissions reduction goals in a net-zero scenario. To meet the expected increase in demand for renewable hydrogen, we need to scale production of more efficient, and cheaper electrolysers.
Hysata has developed a new, highly efficient electrolyser that promises to transform the economics of renewable hydrogen production. The electrolyser, known as a ‘capillary-fed electrolyser’ (CFE) improves the efficiency from 75% for existing commercial electrolysers, to 95%. The electrolyser is also coupled with a simplified balance of plant that further reduces costs.
Action
The project will scale-up and manufacture a modular commercial 5 MW capillary fed electrolyser and balance of plant, which will form the base building block of commercial-scale CFE technology.
The 5 MW commercial electrolyser and balance of plant will be field trialled for six months near Stanwell’s Rockhampton Power Station to independently verify the performance of the electrolyser.
Once tested and verified, the intent is to mass produce the capillary-fed water electrolyser for larger commercial deployment at GW scale.
Outcome
The trial of the commercial electrolyser and balance-of-plant in Rockhampton will allow the technology to be tested and demonstrated in a real-world application to lead to mass production. The demonstration will confirm the overall validity of the technology to support the product guarantee and bankability of the technology.
