Sparc Hydrogen, a joint venture involving Sparc Technologies, Fortescue, and the University of Adelaide, says it has achieved “sustained” hydrogen generation at its pilot photocatalytic water-splitting plant in South Australia.
The facility, located at the University of Adelaide’s Roseworthy campus, uses a photocatalytic water-splitting (PWS) process that employs photocatalyst materials supplied by Shinshu University in Japan and sunlight to produce green hydrogen directly from water, eliminating the need for electrolysers or electricity. Sunlight is the plant’s sole energy input, delivering emissions-free hydrogen and industrial heat while using commercially available, scalable concentrated solar equipment.
Sparc Managing Director Nick O’Loughlin said the production achievement marks completion of commissioning and the transition to full operational testing of its technology under concentrated solar conditions and “positions Sparc Hydrogen at the global forefront of this emerging direct solar-to-hydrogen technology.”
“Sustained hydrogen generation at Roseworthy is a significant milestone for Sparc Hydrogen and the broader green hydrogen and photocatalytic water-splitting industries,” he said.
“I congratulate the project team and our partners … on this significant achievement and look forward to showcasing the pilot plant as an example of the simplicity and scalability of Sparc Hydrogen’s reactor technology and how it can potentially unlock low-cost green hydrogen.”
Sparc said the sustained production of hydrogen at the Roseworthy plant is a major validation of the company’s technology, which it described as a potential pathway to low-cost green hydrogen production in a market expected to be worth $2.11 trillion (USD 1.4 trillion) per year in 2050.
Sparc said the Roseworthy facility represents an important step toward scaling and commercialising its patented PWS reactor technology.
“This first-of-its-kind pilot demonstrates the simplicity and scalability of our photocatalytic water-splitting technology and provides a live platform for ongoing performance testing and optimisation,” it said.
The team is now planning to test the performance of its PWS reactor technology across different solar concentrations, temperatures, and pressures to assess durability and efficiency.
Sparc noted it is engaging with additional photocatalyst developers to facilitate further testing at the site.
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