Australian company Hysata’s world-leading hydrogen electrolyser technology has been recognised with ground-breaking research published in scientific journal Nature Communications.
The research confirms Hysata’s ‘capillary-fed electrolysis cell’ can produce green hydrogen from water at 98% cell energy efficiency, well above International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) 2050 target and better than existing electrolyser technologies, enabling a hydrogen production cost well below A$2/kg (US$1.50/kg).
Green hydrogen is vital for decarbonisation of sectors like steel, heavy transport and chemicals. The Energy Transitions Commission expects demand for green hydrogen to grow to 500-800 million tonnes annually by 2050 to meet demand in these sectors, creating a new multi-trillion-dollar industry.
Green hydrogen is too expensive at present to compete with fossil fuels, due largely to the low efficiencies of existing electrolysers.
Hysata’s ultra-high efficiency electrolyser will make green hydrogen competitive years earlier than generally assumed, accelerating global decarbonisation and increasing energy security.
The technology was invented by scientists at the University of Wollongong and is now being commercialised by Hysata, with backing from IP Group and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).
Hysata chief executive Paul Barrett says the company is on a clear path to commercialise the world’s most efficient electrolyser and reach gigawatt scale hydrogen production capacity by 2025.
“The global momentum towards net zero is creating a massive opportunity for green hydrogen and electrolysers,” he explains.
“Economics will ultimately determine which technologies win, and with our world-beating efficiency, Hysata is well placed to lead in this major new global market.
“Our electrolyser will deliver the world’s lowest hydrogen cost, save hydrogen producers billions of dollars in electricity costs, and enable green hydrogen to outcompete fossil fuel-derived hydrogen.”
Barrett says Hysata’s technology will enable hydrogen production of below US$1.50/kg per kilogram by the mid-2020s, meeting Australian and global cost targets much earlier than generally expected.
Plans areunderway to build a pilot electrolyser manufacturing plant and employ dozens of new highly skilled specialists in 2022.
“Given the urgency to reach net zero, we are gearing up to scale up as quickly as possible.,” says Barrett.
“The elegant design of our electrolyser is perfectly suited to mass production.”
This significant step change in hydrogen technology is on track to accelerate the global hydrogen economy and drive down the cost of green hydrogen production in Australia and globally, positioning Australian as a leading manufacturer of electrolysers and producer of green hydrogen.
Hysata chief technology officer Gerry Swiegers says the Hysata electrolyser system’s overall design is simpler than existing technologies:
“Electrolysers have been around for 200 years, however the large amounts of renewable electricity required to produce green hydrogen and the overall cost of electrolysers today has prevented large-scale uptake of green hydrogen.”
“Hysata’s overall electrolyser system has been designed for ease of manufacturing, scaling and installation, delivering 95% overall system efficiency, equivalent to 41.5 kWh/kg, compared to 75% or less for existing electrolyser technologies. For hydrogen producers, this will significantly reduce both the capital and operational costs to produce green hydrogen.”
Swiegers says the new electrolyser category is “as monumental as the shift from the internal combustion engine (ICE) to electric motors”.
Join the conversation