The Australian government has announced A$15 million in funding through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for clean technology company Hadean Energy to develop a renewable hydrogen pilot plant in Victoria, aiming to reduce hydrogen production costs and emissions from steelmaking.
The A$30 million project, which will be developed at a production site in Western Port, Victoria, will use Australian-developed solid oxide electrolysis technology to produce renewable hydrogen. The hydrogen will be tested at a neighboring steelmaking facility to assess its potential to reduce emissions.
CSIRO technology could reduce hydrogen production electricity consumption by 30 percent
According to the government, the technology could reduce electricity consumption in hydrogen production by up to 30 percent compared with conventional electrolyzers, potentially improving the economic feasibility of hydrogen use in energy-intensive industries. The solid oxide electrolysis technology, developed by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), uses heat from industrial processes to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, reducing the electricity required for hydrogen production.
The pilot project will demonstrate the technology under industrial operating conditions and assess its potential for commercial deployment. The government also highlighted the potential application of the technology in other industrial sectors, including iron and alumina production and heavy transportation.
