QUT hydrogen project

CS Energy is a project partner for QUT's $8.5 million Hydrogen Process Research & Development Project. The multi-party project brings together researchers, technology developers and industry from Australia and overseas, and will evaluate the viability of producing hydrogen from renewable energy systems and processes.

The project will establish a renewable hydrogen plant at the Redlands Research Facility east of Brisbane using locally produced solar energy to extract hydrogen from non-treated drinking water, such as seawater.

A smart micro-grid using existing and new photovoltaic arrays, supplemented with commercially available batteries, is planned for the Redlands facility.

The project has received more than $3 million in financial support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) with project partners including QUT, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Energy Developments Limited, Swinburne University of Technology, Griffith University and The University of Tokyo contributing the remainder.

CS Energy is providing $500,000 in funding support, adding to the $250,000 of support from the Queensland Government.

The project is being led by Professor Ian Mackinnon from QUT’s Institute for Future Environments.

Construction of the pilot plant for renewable energy hydrogen production progressed in FY2020 despite COVID-19 restrictions. The building to house the pilot plant has been completed and procurement of the in-house designed hybrid micro-grid is under contract with a local Queensland company. Integration and commissioning of the completed pilot plant is expected in calendar 2021.

For more information the project, visit https://arena.gov.au/projects/qut-hydrogen-process-research-and-development/.