Australian electrolyser company Hysata (Wollongong, Australia; www.hysata.com) officially opened its new 8,000-m2 global headquarters and electrolyzer manufacturing facility in Port Kembla. This marks a significant milestone in Hysata’s journey, paving the way for commercialization of its pioneering high-efficiency electrolyzer.
Hysata’s electrolyzers are poised to transform the economics of green hydrogen production and accelerate decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, chemical manufacture and heavy transport.
The Australian Government, through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), has given a vote of confidence in Hysata’s technology by announcing a $20.9 million grant from its Advancing Renewables Program. This funding will support commercial demonstration of a 5 MW electrolyzer unit to be trialled adjacent to the Stanwell Power Station near Rockhampton, Queensland.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Queensland Government-owned power company Stanwell Corporation will support the demonstration project with $3 million, and provide the site and facilities for the field deployment of the electrolyzer, which is being developed at Hysata’s new manufacturing facility. The project will create 44 new local jobs at Hysata.
Hysata CEO Paul Barrett said this is a pivotal moment in the company’s rapid technological and commercial scaling, as they work towards fulfilling a 9.4 gigawatt pipeline of signed conditional orders and letters of intent.
“Hysata’s new facility in Port Kembla signals the next phase of our scale-up journey. Our plan encompasses the construction of a 100 MW per annum production line, with commercial-scale units scheduled for delivery in 2025, including the 5 MW electrolyzer unit for Stanwell’s project. And we will ramp up rapidly to giga scale capacity thereafter,” said Dr Barrett.
“With exceptional 95% (41.5 kWh/kg H2) efficiency combined with cost-effective materials and minimised Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) costs, Hysata’s electrolyzer will deliver the lowest Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) for green hydrogen producers.
“We are proud to be partnering with ARENA and Stanwell to deliver the first commercial demonstration of our electrolyser. It is the first step towards Hysata reaching gigawatt scale by 2026 to fulfil burgeoning demand for our electrolysers.
“This site will also serve as the headquarters for our entire staff, fostering collaboration and fortifying our values-driven culture. We look forward to creating hundreds more local jobs and strengthening Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capabilities as we continue to grow.”
Minister for Climate Change and Energy the Hon Chris Bowen MP officially opened the facility.
“We’re delighted to support game-changing, homegrown innovation that will power our future as a clean energy manufacturer and a renewable energy superpower,” Minister Bowen said.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the project is a crucial step to enabling purchase orders for the technology.
“Hysata is a great example of Australian innovation leading the way in renewable energy. This electrolyser technology could be a game-changer for renewable hydrogen. The demonstration at Stanwell’s site will be key to unlocking commercial demand for Hysata’s product by proving the technology works at scale,” Mr Miller said.
“ARENA has been involved in this technology since it was just a concept in a laboratory, so we’re pleased to be supporting this next step toward commerciality. Identifying promising renewable energy solutions and helping them along the innovation chain is what ARENA does best.”
Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke said the support for Hysata’s technology commercialization was another important step in Stanwell’s goal to driving the development of Queensland’s renewable hydrogen industry.
“We are excited to support Hysata by facilitating the commercialization of this innovative Australian-made technology through a field pilot,” Mr O’Rourke said.
“The development of a renewable hydrogen industry is a key component of our energy transformation. The potential to utilize high efficiency Australian technology in large-scale hydrogen projects would be a real advantage.”
Hysata’s electrolysers boast the world’s most efficient electrolysis cell, combined with a simplified balance-of-plant, achieving an impressive 95% system efficiency (41.5kWh/kg).
This efficiency has been verified in top-tier peer reviewed journal Nature Communications, surpassing incumbents by 20% and exceeding IRENA’s 2050 electrolyzer efficiency target.