Hydrogen

Hydrogen vehicle maker H2X is set to unveil its Australian-developed fuel cell electric hybrid Warrego Ute in November.

A number of Fraunhofer institutes in Germany want to make green hydrogen more cost-competitive and are working to identify the best and most economical processes for the production of electrolysers. They intend to build a digital library of future-proof electrolyser manufacturing processes with which the investment costs and even the return on investment can be determined in advance depending on the planned production volume.

Canadian clean energy company Amp Energy has secured a lease agreement with Indigenous landowners to develop a solar farm and storage system in Whyalla, South Australia. The project is one of three sites which make up the company’s proposed Renewable Energy Hub of South Australia, announced in May.

Australia’s solar uptake is now forecast to reach 8.9 GW by 2025, on top of the 14 GW already installed, according to the Australian Electricity Market Operator.

Spanish energy giants Repsol and Enagás are planning to build an electrolyser based on photoelectrocatalysis at an industrial complex owned by the oil company in Puertollano in 2024. The device receives direct solar radiation and with a photoactive material it generates the electrical charges that cause the separation of the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen.

Australia’s biggest energy retailer Origin Energy will team with Japan’s largest oil refiner Eneos to explore the potential of establishing a commercial-scale green hydrogen supply chain between Australia and Japan.

A German research team has developed a photovoltaic-electrochemical device for alkaline water electrolysis that can be linked to battery storage. The proposed system configuration can not only smoothen out the PV power fluctuations and facilitate power coupling, but also improve solar to hydrogen efficiency.

Two hydrogen platforms have launched in Australia to connect hydrogen producers with consumers, ultimately trying to catalyse projects and the industry more broadly. The first, NERA’s HyCapability, maps hydrogen capability across Australia, while the other focuses on New South Wales and the developments of its hydrogen hubs.

Australia has the sun, the wind and the space to become one of the world’s green hydrogen export superpowers in coming decades. However, the Sunburnt Country does have a dearth of one ingredient in the green hydrogen equation – freshwater. Thankfully, researchers from Monash University and a group of national water utilities are joining forces to find a way to use wastewater for the process of electrolysis.

The Australian government’s green bank has reaffirmed its intent to evolve beyond investing in solar and wind, expanding its focus to include green hydrogen, energy storage and transmission projects after finalising a string of investment firsts in the past 12 months.