Australian start-up to produce low-cost electrolysers with 95% efficiency

Hydrogen tech firm Hysata has opened a new electrolyser manufacturing facility in Port Kembla, New South Wales in Australia.

PHOTO: Hysata's chief executive officer Paul Barrett (left) and chief technical officer Gerry Swiegers (right) showcase a capillary-fed electrolysis cell. LinkedIn of Paul Barrett

“The main challenge for the industry today is that existing electrolysers are complex, costly, only moderately efficient, and difficult to scale,” Hysata says.

A breakthrough technology

As a solution, the Australian company claims that its modular capillary-fed electrolysis cell produces green hydrogen at 95% efficiency. A modular design with high efficiency and “low supply chain risk” will slash the cost of green production, it says.

Green hydrogen can be produced at around AUD2/kg ($1.50/kg), or $1,500/mt, using this technology, according to the company, making it one of the "lowest levelized costs" for producing green hydrogen.

A capillary-fed electrolysis cell uses capillaries – small, flexible tubes that are placed inside the electrodes – to draw water into the electrodes, which then break the water down into oxygen and hydrogen atoms.

The specialised capillary structure allows water to be converted directly into oxygen and hydrogen without the formation of gas bubbles, thereby enhancing the energy efficiency of the electrolysis process.

Fuelling ships with green hydrogen

Hydrogen produced with renewable energy will likely be key to decarbonising shipping as it can allow marine fuels to be produced with zero-emission potential. Even though green hydrogen is not yet a viable fuel for ocean-going vessels, it is an essential feedstock for synthetic ammonia and methanol with near-zero carbon footprints.

However, high hydrogen production costs and suboptimal electrolyser efficiency rates have often been cited as stumbling blocks in scaling up green hydrogen production.

Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand, president of Yara Clean Ammonia, told ENGINE that electrolysers are expensive at the moment, and they require high amounts of energy to generate hydrogen due to their low energy efficiency. This makes green hydrogen production more expensive and increases the cost of green ammonia production.

Low-cost electrolysers with high energy efficiency can make it more affordable to produce green hydrogen, which can then be used to produce green ammonia and green methanol for powering larger vessels. 

“Our electrolyser will deliver the world’s lowest hydrogen cost, save hydrogen producers billions of dollars in electricity costs, and enable green hydrogen to outcompete fossil fuel-derived hydrogen,” Hysata claims.

The company has received a $20.9 million grant from the Australian Government - through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) - to expedite commercial trials of its 5-megawatt electrolyser. Hysata expects to sell its electrolysers from 2025.

By Konica Bhatt

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