Low-cost, robust, high-activity water splitting electrodes

Summary

The project will develop scalable methods for the fabrication of efficient, low-cost and robust electrodes for Hydrogen production from renewable energy sources via electrochemical water splitting.

How the project works

Monash University and ANU will engineer efficient and low-cost electrodes for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Innovative techniques like flame spray pyrolysis will be upgraded and implemented as a high speed roll-to-roll manufacturing method to create high-performing electrodes. The electrodes will be optimised to achieve long-term stable operation and integrated into a scalable electrolyser to progress the technology for durable and cost-efficient renewable hydrogen production.

Area of innovation

Converting electricity made from solar PV into high-energy density fuels is currently the most feasible approach to store, transport and export this type of renewable energy in Australia. In addition, hydrogen gas is the most ecologically clean fuel. Upon “combustion”, it produces pure water that can be converted back into hydrogen fuel. If successful, this project has the potential to provide low-cost and efficient electrolysers for hydrogen production from water powered by solar PV.

Benefit

Electrolysis of water is the most feasible and sustainable source of renewable hydrogen fuel. In Australia, solar PV is an ideal energy source to power this process. The technologies to be developed in this project will address the major impediment to the commercialisation of the electrolytic hydrogen generation – high cost. Hydrogen produced by water electrolysis can be exported and used as fuel or fed into gas supply networks to boost efficiency of the existing energy supply. In addition, hydrogen can be reacted with nitrogen to produce easily exportable ammonia fuel.