Cost of production has always been a roadblock to commercial hydrogen production, but the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) may have cracked the code with a new technology.
Hydrogen is produced via electrolysis, which typically relies on large quantities of electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. In a market where the price of electricity is sky-high, this hurdle has seen a number of industry players, like Origin, walk away from green initiatives.
But CSIRO’s tubular solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) technology, which has clocked 1000 hours of successful operation in a trial with BlueScope Steel, may represent a viable path forward. SOE uses both waste heat (such as heat generated from steelworks) alongside electricity to produce hydrogen with greater efficiency.
The BlueScope pilot project kicked off in October, managing to produce hydrogen with an electrical input of less than 36kWh per kilogram. This is significant when compared with the typical production input of 55kWh per kilogram.
It’s an exciting development for Australia’s battling hydrogen industry, one that demonstrates how affordable and renewable hydrogen may be generated at scale to help decarbonise heavy industry.
“Since electricity takes up the lion’s share of variable production costs for renewable hydrogen, a substantial reduction in the electricity required (up to 30 per cent saving) for production could be a game changer,” CSIRO senior principal research scientist and group leader Sarb Giddey said.
“Taking a new technology out of the lab and into the field can highlight unforeseen challenges, so we are delighted to see that our technology is meeting the performance requirements in terms of hydrogen production, electrical efficiency and reliability.”
BlueScope head of future technologies Chris Page said he sees hydrogen as an important part of BlueScope’s pathway to net zero.
“BlueScope is proud to support pilot projects on site, which align with our goals of low carbon emission steelmaking in the future,” he said.
“The CSIRO electrolyser pilot has produced positive outcomes in its short-term operation, and we look forward to seeing it evolve.”
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