Capillary-fed electrolyser firm Hysata has secured AUD $49m ($34.9m) in Australian government funding to build a 50MW manufacturing line at its New South Wales facility.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) funding will support the firm’s AUD $98m plans to establish the manufacturing line in Port Kembla, which could produce 200MW worth of systems annually under 24-hour operations.
The site will also manufacture core electrolyser components locally, such as membranes, anodes, and cathodes.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the funding from the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund will support government plans to bolster domestic technology manufacturing.
It comes after Hysata secured its first commercial order for a “megawatt-scale” system from an unnamed “significant global customer” due for delivery in the first half of 2027.
Developed from research at the University of Wollongong, the technology does not use liquid electrolyte reservoirs like those found in alkaline and PEM systems, and instead uses capillary action to deliver electrolyte to reaction areas.
The company claims the approach reduces resistance losses and prevents bubble formation at electrodes to achieve an electrical efficiency of 95%.
Hysata completed a trial deployment of a system with Saudi Arabia’s state-backed Acwa, previously received AUD $20.9m ($14.9m) from ARENA in 2023 for a 5MW deployment, and raised $111m in a Series B funding round led by BP Ventures.
Other investments include Posco, IMM Investment Hong Kong, Shinhan Financial Group, Twin Towers Ventures, and the Oman Investment Authority’s venture capital arm.
