|
Cheapest Green Hydrogen
August 2, 2022
By
Leigh Collins
'World's cheapest green hydrogen'
Start-up with ultra-efficient electrolyser to develop pilot factory
after securing $29m
Hysata — which says its 'capillary-fed'
technology is a 'step-change improvement over existing designs' —
attracts A$42.5m in Series A investment round
Australian start-up Hysata that says it has
developed the world’s most efficient electrolyser has attracted
A$42.5m ($29.4m) in an oversubscribed Series A funding round.
The money will be used to grow the company’s
team and “develop a pilot manufacturing facility” for its innovative
“capillary-fed” technology, which it says will be able to deliver the
“world’s lowest-cost green hydrogen” due to its superior efficiency.
In simple terms, the largest element of
the levelised cost of green hydrogen (LCOH) is the cost of the
renewable electricity used, so the less power an electrolyser needs to
produce each kilogram of H2, the lower the LCOH it would
be.
Hysata says its capillary-fed
electrolyser (CFE) requires just 41.5kWh of electricity per kg of
hydrogen. The industry benchmark for highly efficient electrolysers is
50kWh/kg.
“The Hysata electrolyser operates at 95%
system efficiency (41.5 kWh/kg), delivering a giant leap in
performance and cost over incumbent technologies, which typically
operate at 75% or less [52.5kWh/kg],” the company says. The efficiency
figure is a reference to the 39.4kWh (HHV)
of energy contained in a kilogram of H2.
“This high efficiency, coupled with the
simple approach to mass manufacturing and low supply chain risk puts
the company on a path to delivering the world’s lowest cost green
hydrogen.”
The company explains on its website that
a green hydrogen project producing one million tonnes of H2
per year using 52.5kWh/kg electrolysers would require 14GW of wind and
solar power at a world-class location. With the CFE, the same
developers would only need 11GW of renewable energy — a cost saving of
about $3bn (assuming an average capital cost for renewables of $1m per
MW).
Hysata says the CFE offers “step-change
improvement over existing designs”, not just in terms of the
electrolyser stack, but also a simplified balance of plant (BOP) and
modular manufacturing that is easy to automate and scale.
Graphic explaining Hysata's
groundbreaking technology. Photo: Hysata
The electrolyser offers a “low-cost
design, based on earth-abundant materials”, the company says — a
reference to the high-cost iridium required in PEM electrolysers —
while the “high cell efficiency eliminates the need for expensive
cooling”.
The “integrated BOP and stack design
provides an optimised turnkey system that delivers high purity green
hydrogen at the lowest levelized cost”, the Hysata website adds.
The company plans to reach gigawatt-scale
production in 2025.
As part of the Series A funding round,
the Australian government-owned Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)
invested A$10m — adding to its initial A$750,000 cash injection, with
further investments coming from Danish wind turbine manufacturer
Vestas’ investment arm, Vestas Ventures; UK cleantech investor Kiko
Ventures; intellectual property commercialization company IP Group
Australia; Aussie superannuation fund Hostplus and Australian steel
producer BlueScope’s investment arm, BlueScopeX.
“Having assessed scores of electrolyser
technologies in my 20 years in cleantech, Hysata’s technology stands
out as a true breakthrough,” said Kiko Ventures founding partner
Robert Trezona.
“The company has redefined the core cell
architecture for alkaline electrolysis, producing a practical and
scalable solution with game changing efficiency. Hysata has the
potential to be a globally significant company in the hydrogen economy
and we look forward to supporting its growth, especially here in
Europe.”
The view was echoed by CEFC boss Ian
Learmouth.
“The CEFC is proud to continue our
support for Hysata, which is set to be a major player in the global
electrolyser industry,” he said.
Hysata CEO Paul Barrett added: “Over the
last 12-18 months, Hysata has been interacting with dozens of major
customers globally. The impact our efficiency and system simplicity
delivers to customers’ project economics truly moves the needle.
“We look forward to continuing to work
with our shareholders and customers to bring this much needed
technology to market as soon as possible.”
Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
exactrix@exactrix.com
|
