Australia’s national science agency CSIRO has successfully trialled its tubular solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC) hydrogen production technology at a New South Wales (NSW) steelworks.
Clocking 1,000 hours of operations at BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks, the technology used steam generated at the plant and electricity to produce hydrogen with an electrical input of less than 36kWh per kilogramme of hydrogen.
SOEC technology offers inherent efficiency gains on other electrolysis methods by using excess heat to reduce the electricity requirements.
CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist, Dr. Sarb Gidey, said, “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% saving) for hydrogen production could be a game changer for the nascent hydrogen industry.”
Coming as the first real-world trial of the CSIRO technology, Giddey added that the trial saw it meet hydrogen production, electrical efficiency and reliability performance requirements.
However, commercial deployments look to be on the horizon.
Agency spinout, Hadean Energy, has already licensed the SOEC technology with plans to deploy it in various industrial applications.
“The 1,000-hour milestone validates the technology in a real-world industrial setting, increasing the technology readiness level to prepare for commercialisation,” said Hadean CEO, Chris Rowland. “It shows the potential for Hadean Energy’s electrolysers to decarbonise hard-to-abate industries.”
The firm is preparing to deploy a 5kW demonstration unit at a nuclear power plant in the UK owned by EDF, securing a grant through the Australia-UK Renewable Hydrogen Innovation Partnership.
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