Future Energy Exports – development and demonstration of hydrogen liquefaction

R&D Focus Areas:
Liquid hydrogen, Technology integration process improvement, Safety and standards

Lead Organisation:
Future Energy Exports CRC Limited

Partners:
The University of Melbourne, The University of Western Australia

Status:
Active

Start date:
March 2024

Completion date:
July 2028

Key contacts:
Professor Eric May, CEO and Managing Director, Future Energy Exports CRC – eric.may@fenex.org.au

Funding:
AUD$2.1 million – Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)

Project total cost:
AUD$6.34 million

Project summary description (as published by ARENA):
The Project aims to deliver a step-change in hydrogen liquefaction cost through two key advances: novel mixed refrigerant (MR) cycles reducing energy consumption, and new design tools producing smaller, safer plant layouts through better understood exclusion zone requirements.

Testing facilities will be constructed to demonstrate new MR hydrogen liquefaction cycles and help de-risk future commercial-scale plants. New thermodynamic and phase behaviour knowledge about MRs and cryogenic hydrogen (CH2)-in-air will be developed from molecular simulations and integrated into fluid dynamic models to produce validated design tools. These will help optimise and scale-up liquefaction equipment, such as turbines/compressors, and accurately determine safe liquid hydrogen plant layouts.

In the research commercialisation stage, the project will identify specific projects or application where the tools designed as part of the core research stage can be integrated in real-world testing grounds to test for functionality and effectiveness. The project will involve the design of a 100kg/day MR based hydrogen liquefaction pilot plant. Future Energy Exports CRC will undertake negotiations with potential industry partners for potential licencing of the technology such that it can be deployed at a commercial scale.

The objectives for the project will be achieved through the following outcomes:

1. Accelerated commercialisation of renewable hydrogen through innovative research and development (R&D) in hydrogen storage and distribution technologies
2. Increased academic research capacity in the Australian hydrogen sector, and the facilitation of collaboration between research groups and industry
3. Improvement in the technology readiness and commercial readiness of hydrogen storage and distribution technologies
4. Novel refrigerants for lower cost hydrogen liquefaction (up to 50% reduced energy consumption)
5. Improved efficiency of hydrogen liquefaction technologies for hydrogen storage at large scales, and
6. Safer and cost-effective plant design by accurately modelling uncontrolled hydrogen release.

Related publications and key links:
Future Energy Exports – development & demonstration of hydrogen liquefaction – Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)

Higher degree studies supported:
To be advised, potentially up to four PhD students.

 

April 2024