Hysata Acquires Funding to Develop Pilot Factory

Australian start-up Hysata that says it has developed the world’s most efficient electrolyser has attracted A$42.5m ($29.4m) in an oversubscribed Series A funding round. The money will be used to grow the company’s team and “develop a pilot manufacturing facility” for its innovative “capillary-fed” technology, which it says will be able to deliver the “world’s lowest-cost green hydrogen” due to its superior efficiency.

[rechargenews.com] – ‘World’s cheapest green hydrogen’ | Start-up with ultra-efficient electrolyser to develop pilot factory after securing $29m

Getting 99% Renewable Electricity in Australia

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Featuring guest David Osmond and his Twitter-famous highly renewable Australian electricity grid simulation. See the latest update here:

[twitter.com] – David Osmond

Australia’s First Six Offshore Wind Zones Unveiled

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Australia is another step closer to having offshore wind power with the federal government announcing six places where projects could be built. The move is part of Labor’s pledge to rapidly ramp up renewable production in order to hit its climate targets. Political reporter James Glenday has more.

Towards the End of Open Air Farming?

The current drought in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, followed by drastic measures to reduce water consumption, underline that open air farming could slowly become a thing of the past. The production of 1 kg tomatoes in open air farming requires 200 liter water. In a closed-system hydroponics greenhouse, that consumption is reduced to 12 liters. At this low level, even desalinated seawater can be considered as a source, as this project in Australia has proven. An additional advantage is that production can take place all year around.

[bbc.com] – Drought emergency declared in northern Italy
[deepresource] – Growing Crops in the Australian Desert with Seawater

Photo-Voltaic Solar Film for 10 $/m2

The Australian university of New Castle wants to travel around their vast continent-island (15,000 km) in a Tesla, powered by an 18 m long “carpet” of solar film.

These carpets can be rolled out over grasslands or beaches in the winter, as a temporary solution. Or mounted against garden fences.

[cnn.com] – Australian scientists to fit Tesla with printed solar panels in 15,000 km test ride
[spiegel.de] – 15.000 Kilometer Strecke – mit gedruckten Solarpaneelen

In Dresden, Germany, the firm Heliathek is producing solar films as well:

[heliatek.com] – Company site

Warming Up By Cooling Down Your Solar Panels

[sunovate.com.au] – Company site

Breakthrough in Water Electrolysis – 95% Efficiency

The Australian company Hysata claims to have developed a new way of producing hydrogen from electricity at a spectacular efficiency of “up to 95%”, instead of the usual industry standard 75%. Hysata claims that eventually $1.50/kg hydrogen is feasible. The technology is capillary-based. The researchers managed to get their findings published in Nature.

If these results are confirmed, the hydrogen economy just came a big step closer. And the hydrogen car got a new lease of life.

[theguardian.com] – Australian researchers claim ‘giant leap’ in technology to produce affordable renewable hydrogen
[nature.com] – A high-performance capillary-fed electrolysis cell promises more cost-competitive renewable hydrogen
[hysata.com] – Company site
[change.inc] – Nieuwe manier om waterstof te maken ontdekt
[pv-magazine.com] – Australian electrolyzer invention enables green hydrogen under US$1.5/kg by ‘mid 2020s’

The Hysata electrolyser

New Way of Decarbonising Ammonia Production

First Liquid Hydrogen Exports From Australia to Japan

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The world’s first ever liquid hydrogen transport ship is on its way from Australia to Japan, carrying a cargo of brown hydrogen (made by gasifying brown coal with no carbon capture). Once it gets there, it’ll either be used to generate electricity or perhaps to fuel cars. Either way, it’ll be more expensive, more complicated and worse for the climate than if Australia just shipped coal for Japan to burn in a coal power plant.

So why am I a fan of this project? Finally, we are moving past the talking phase of the hydrogen economy and into the testing phase. How much energy will it take to transport liquid hydrogen thousands of kilometers? Will most of the liquid hydrogen boil off and leak out during the trip? Is there any way liquid hydrogen transport can ever be cost-effective? This project will help us answer these questions.

Just don’t called it “clean” energy.

VW in Lithium Mining Deal in Germany

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The world’s largest automaker Volkswagen has signed a deal with German-Australian company Vulcan to purchase 32-42 kiloton of battery grade lithium hydroxide, enough for about 1 million vehicles. The lithium will be mined by Vulcan in the German Rhine Valley. First lithium will be available for VW as of 2026. The deal has potential for further expansion. The lithium will be extracted in a climate-neutral fashion.

[kitcom.com] – Vulcan Energy inks lithium offtake agreement with Volkswagen
[reuters.com] – Lithium extraction company Vulcan adds VW to customer line-up
[deepresource] – Significant Lithium Reserves In European Groundwater
[deepresource] – Germany Could Be Sitting on Large Lithium Reserves
[deepresource] – German Lithium