Sparc Hydrogen is celebrating two major milestones at its green hydrogen pilot plant, successfully completing installing new solar thermal modules and officially launching the project at the University of Adelaide’s Roseworthy campus.
The Sparc Hydrogen Advanced Research Pilot (SHARP) is a test bed for photocatalytic water splitting (PWS), a process which harnesses the sun’s energy to extract green hydrogen from water, without the need for electrolysers powered by electricity – a potential game-changer in the global effort to deliver scalable, low-cost, renewable hydrogen.
SHARP will accelerate the development of Sparc Hydrogen’s patented PWS reactor technology and is expected to enable real-world evaluation of PWS catalysts being developed globally. In bringing together the world’s best reactor and catalyst technologies, and invaluable operational experience, SHARP represents a huge step forward in solar hydrogen commercialisation.
The commissioning ceremony at the University’s Roseworthy campus marks the fruition of years of university research and months of work undertaken by partners Sparc Technologies, the University of Adelaide and Fortescue Limited.
Despite decades of research and notable advancements, the efficiency of PWS remains a key challenge to reaching commercialisation. The SHARP pilot plant aims to improve the economics of producing green hydrogen using PWS through driving increased efficiencies within modular and scalable concentrated solar infrastructure.
In the lead up to commissioning of the plant, front-end engineering and design was undertaken by global engineering and commercial service provider Incitias, while Sparc Hydrogen’s photocatalytic water splitting reactor, which is being commissioned using photocatalysts developed by Shinshu University in Japan, was developed at the University of Adelaide’s School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences.
The launch of the project follows the installation of the Solatom solar thermal modules in May. These key components form the heart of the photocatalytic water-splitting system, marking a major milestone in the construction phase of the project, which kicked off in March.
Installation took place over a couple of days, with all modules positioned and secured on-site as planned.
Sparc Renewables said it was pleased to share that the project remains on schedule and on budget.
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