CSIRO technology the #1 element in reducing hydrogen production costs
In a game changer for heavy industry, CSIRO and corporate advisor RFC Ambrian have co-founded Hadean Energy to commercialise technology that can significantly reduce hydrogen production costs and industry emissions.
While the International Energy Agency estimates hydrogen demand to increase 138% by 2030, high production costs and energy inputs remain at this stage key challenges for producing green hydrogen.
CSIRO’s tubular solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) technology produces hydrogen efficiently by electrolysing water using a combination of heat and electricity.
CSIRO lead scientist on hydrogen research Dr Sarb Giddey says this SOE technology “has the potential to produce hydrogen at a higher efficiency and lower cost for integration with industrial processes”.
“It allows industrial waste heat to be integrated back into the industrial processes, which decreases the electrical energy required to produce hydrogen or syn-gas by up to 30%,” Dr Giddey added.
“It’s great news for industry, because integrating the hydrogen product back into industrial processes onsite also eliminates storage and transport costs while drastically reducing the use of fossil fuels in the industrial process.”
CSIRO will trial the technology at BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks from April 2024 to demonstrate the equipment at pilot scale in an industrial environment.
BlueScope chief executive of Australian steel products Tania Archibald says the company supports the trial project as it aligns with its own sustainability objectives.
“SOE has the potential to dramatically reduce the cost of hydrogen for low emissions steelmaking,” she said.
“The improved efficiency of SOE systems reduces energy consumption and reduces the electrical infrastructure required by electrolysers.”
RFC Ambrian chief information officer Stefan Skorut says the technology is well-placed to address the existing industrial hydrogen market which is currently almost 100% derived from fossil fuels.
“While SOE is the most efficient method of electrolysis, green hydrogen and synthetic fuels will remain uneconomic unless we address the scalability and cost of electrolysers,” he said.
“CSIRO’s tubular SOE technology represents a step change improvement across these metrics.”
RFC Ambrian manages a decarbonisation technology fund targeting early-stage investments in emerging technologies with the potential to decarbonise high emissions industries and the company has previously partnered with CSIRO to co-found other ventures including Chrysos Corporation, Nextore, and MRead.
Hadean Energy will have exclusive rights over CSIRO’s SOE technology.
