Hadean Energy will receive $15 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to build and operate a pilot hydrogen plant in Victoria.
The hydrogen produced will be used at an industrial facility in steel manufacturing processes, providing a practical test of whether the technology can support lower-emissions steelmaking.
Related article: Hadean Energy driving hydrogen for heavy industry
Hadean estimates its technology could produce hydrogen using around 30% less electricity than conventional electrolysers.
The project supports ARENA’s broader focus on reducing the cost of green hydrogen by testing Australian-developed technology in an operating industrial environment. If successful, the technology could improve the economics of hydrogen production and support future deployment across a range of industrial applications.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said reducing electricity use could help make green hydrogen more affordable and practical for industry.
“Green hydrogen has significant potential to reduce emissions from industries that are difficult to electrify, but the cost of production remains a major barrier,” Miller said.
“This pilot will demonstrate how Hadean’s technology performs in a real-world industrial environment and provide the evidence needed to assess its commercial potential.”
“This could open the door to broader use of green hydrogen in steelmaking and other industrial applications, while helping build Australia’s hydrogen industrial capability.”
The pilot plant is expected to produce up to 7kg of hydrogen per hour and supply around 85% of the hydrogen needed for an annealing process in steel manufacturing.
Related article: Can green hydrogen become commercially competitive?
In addition to producing hydrogen more efficiently, the technology could also be used in the future to create low-emissions synthetic fuels, which may help reduce emissions in sectors dependent on energy-dense fuels.
