Australian science agency CSIRO has completed the pilot project of its hydrogen electrolyser at BlueScope ’s Port Kembla Steelworks in New South Wales. The tubular solid oxide electrolysis ( SOE ) technology has shown exceptional performance, with 1000 hours of successful operation in its trial with BlueScope Steel, which began in October 2024.
The pilot project of its hydrogen electrolyzer
CSIRO ’s innovative SOE technology harnesses both waste heat ( from steam in steelworks ) and electricity, enabling more efficient and less costly hydrogen production. Project leader Dr Sarb Giddey said the trial produced hydrogen with an electricity consumption of less than 36 kWh per kilogram of hydrogen, using steam generated by steelmaking processes. This translates to a reduction in electricity consumption of up to 30%.
“Since electricity accounts for the majority of the variable costs of producing renewable hydrogen, a substantial reduction in the electricity required (up to 30% savings) for hydrogen production could be a game-changer for the hydrogen industry.”
Dr. Giddey said.
BlueScope is proud to support this pilot project, as it sees hydrogen as essential to its journey towards decarbonisation. BlueScope’s Director of Future Technologies, Chris Page, commented: “ This pilot project aligns with our low carbon steel production goals for the future .”
On the other hand, Hadean Energy , a CSIRO spin-off company, is part of this development for the commercialization of this technology. Chris Rowland, CEO of Hadean Energy, highlighted that SOE technology is very economical to build, due to its simplified manufacturing process and accessible materials.
Port Kembla Steelworks and its. Source: TVBlueScope
The successful 1,000-hour trial has validated the SOE technology in a real-world industrial location, bringing it closer to full-scale commercialisation. Hadean Energy is preparing to showcase a 5kW demonstration unit as part of the Renewable Hydrogen Innovation Partnerships between Australia and the UK, with the aim of taking the technology to a full-scale industrial pilot.
Follow us on social networks and don’t miss any of our publications!
YouTube LinkedIn Facebook Instagram X TikTok
Source and photo: CSIRO
Loading...
