Hysata Capillary-fed Electrolyser Commercial-Scale Demonstration Project
R&D Focus Areas:
Electrolysis
Lead Organisation:
Hysata
Partners:
Stanwell Corporation
Status:
Active
Start date:
July 2023
Completion date:
April 2026
Key contacts:
Alex Taylor-Bartels – alex.taylor-bartels@hysata.com
Funding:
AUD$20.85 million – Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
AUD$3 million – Stanwell Corporation
Project total cost:
AUD$47.5 million
Project summary description:
This project will develop, build and demonstrate a capillary-fed water electrolyser and balance of plant system at commercial 5 MW scale. Hysata is developing a 200-kW electrolyser system in parallel, supported through funding under the HYGATE program, that will demonstrate the key components of the commercial-scale demonstration plant.
The 5 MW electrolyser unit will be constructed at Hysata’s new Port Kembla manufacturing facility. After initial testing at the site, the unit will be relocated to Queensland where the demonstration is to undergo independent performance testing in a ‘real world’ setting at Stanwell’s Future Energy and Innovation Training Hub (FEITH) in Rockhampton, central Queensland. This validation testing period is planned to commence in early-2025 and is estimated at approximately six months. Stanwell will then have the option to purchase the electrolyser.
Hysata has developed an alkaline capillary-fed electrolysis system that has demonstrated water electrolysis performance exceeding commercial electrolysis cells, with a cell voltage at 0.5 A cm-2 and 85 °C of only 1.51 V, equating to 98% energy efficiency (HHV), with an energy consumption of 40.4 kWh/kg hydrogen (vs. ~47.5 kWh/kg in commercial electrolysis cells). The high energy efficiency is combined with a simplified balance-of-plant that makes the produced renewable hydrogen more cost-competitive, for an overall system efficiency of 41.5 kWh/kg (95% efficiency HHV).
The central Queensland testing and validation of the commercial-scale electrolyser and balance of plant would provide real-world operational experience to confirm the validity of the technology to support product guarantee and bankability of the technology, with the intent to progress the capillary-fed electrolysis technology to larger commercial deployment.
Related publications and key links:
Next steps for pioneering renewable hydrogen technology – Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
Higher degree studies supported:
Not applicable
September 2023