A new facility to produce hydrogen directly from water without the use of electrolysers is set to power ahead, with Sparc Technologies, Fortescue and the University of Adelaide formally committing to stage two of the project.
Sparc Technologies said the second phase will focus on constructing and testing a first-of-its-kind pilot plant supporting ongoing reactor development and scale-up.
The company said the decision to proceed to stage two reflects several key milestones achieved and is a strong endorsement of the potential of Sparc Hydrogen’s novel technology to unlock low-cost green hydrogen via photocatalytic water splitting (PWS).
The novel reactor technology employs a photocatalyst material and sunlight to produce green hydrogen directly from water without electrolysers.
Sparc Technologies said it believes that the pilot plant will represent a globally leading facility for research and development (R&D) and commercialisation of PWS reinforcing Sparc Hydrogen’s first mover position in this emerging direct solar to hydrogen technology.
Front-end engineering and design (FEED) for the pilot plant is complete and construction is expected to commence early in 2025
Sparc Technologies Managing Director, Nick O’Loughlin, said the company is very pleased to be pursuing stage two of the Sparc Hydrogen joint venture alongside its supportive world class partners.
“A significant amount of work has gone into this positive investment decision which is a reflection on the R&D team, strong IP position and high potential of the technology to unlock low-cost green hydrogen without relying on electrolysers, stretched electricity grids and related infrastructure.”
Fortescue Director of Research and Development, Michael Dolan, said “Fortescue is proud to continue its support of Sparc Hydrogen and its innovative photocatalytic water splitting technology.
“This Australian innovation has the potential to make green hydrogen an even more competitive energy resource by decoupling its cost from the cost of green power. The phase two pilot plant will enable this promising technology to be evaluated at a meaningful scale ahead of potential commercial deployment in the future.”
University of Adelaide Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research), Professor Anton Middelberg, said the university is pleased to commit to the next stage of work on photocatalytic water splitting, based on the research work of Professor Greg Metha and his team.
“The core IP developed by Professor Metha relates to PWS reactors operating under concentrated solar energy. This investment into constructing a pilot plant enables us to stress-test catalysts developed globally and places South Australia in a position of competitiveness in terms of testing innovative hydrogen technologies.”
