Five-year-old Wollongong green hydrogen startup Hysata has secured $49 million from the federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to build a $98m commercial-scale electrolyser manufacturing plant in the region.
Founded in 2021 by tech entrepreneur Dr Paul Barrett, electrolysis expert Gerry Swiegers and renewables guru Tom Campey, from research at the University of Wollongong, Hysata has designed a new kind of electrolyser, the component in an electrolysis cell used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The result is renewable hydrogen at a lower cost.
Hysata was named the inaugural Startup Daily Best in Tech awards Startup of The Year in 2023. The startup subsequently raised a record $172 million Series B eight months later.
The $98 million project will establish a 50 MW per annum manufacturing line for Hysata’s capillary-fed electrolyser, with the capacity to scale to 200 MW annually. The ARENA cash came from its Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund.
The project includes the deployment of early commercial megawatt-scale electrolyser systems for energy and local manufacture of core electrolyser components, including membranes, anodes and cathodes. It’s expected to create around 40 new skilled jobs across manufacturing, engineering and technical roles in the Illawarra region.
Hysata will also work with the University of Wollongong and TAFE NSW Illawarra to deliver training, internships and skills development pathways..
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said Hysata is a great example of home-grown technology with the potential to compete globally.
“This project will help move Australian innovation from the lab into large-scale manufacturing, creating skilled jobs while strengthening Australia’s capability to produce critical clean energy technologies locally,” he said.
“By supporting advanced manufacturing of electrolysers here in Australia, we’re helping build the industries that can underpin a future renewable hydrogen sector and create long-term economic opportunities.”
