Cost of green hydrogen reduced by Hyasta electrolyzer efficiency

Cost of green hydrogen reduced by Hyasta electrolyzer efficiency

March 22, 2022 3 By Alicia Moore

The Australian company’s renewable H2 technology outperforms current tech efficiency levels.

Hystata, an H2 electrolyzer tech company from Australia, has just received recognition for its technology efficiency that could reduce the cost of green hydrogen. This recognition came from the outcome of research conducted on it in the Nature Communications scientific journal.

The research confirmed that the “capillary-fed electrolysis cell” achieved a 98 percent cell energy efficiency.

The capillary-fed electrolysis cell technology’s 98 percent cell energy efficiency is considerably better than the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) target for 2050. Moreover, it is also substantially better than electrolyzer tech already in existence in terms of its efficiency. This tech enabled H2 production to come with a price tag well below USD$1.50 per kilogram.

Renewable H2 is widely viewed as a key component to overall decarbonization strategies. It is seen as particularly valuable in sectors that would otherwise be difficult to decarbonize, such as heavy transport, steel and chemical industries. The Energy Transitions Commission has forecasted that the demand for renewable H2 would reach between 500 million and 800 million tons per year by 2050 in order to meet the needs of those specific sectors. Should this be the case, it will result in a new industry worth multiple trillions of dollars.

Cost of green hydrogen - Greater efficiency

Improving efficiency in production will be critical to reducing the cost of green hydrogen.

Shrinking the expense associated with producing renewable H2 is vital to the feasibility of this energy source. The current price tag associated to the clean fuel is widely viewed as being too high to effectively compete with the use of fossil fuels. Part of the reason for this is that typical existing electrolyzers are not adequately efficient.

However, the considerably higher efficiency of the Hysata technology could change that trend substantially sooner than had previously been predicted. If so, it could accelerate the use of this fuel and the decarbonization of heavy industry worldwide.

The technology used to reduce the cost of green hydrogen was developed by University of Wollongong scientists. Hysata is now commercializing it with the support of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and IP Group.

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