Sparc Technologies Limited reports that Sparc Hydrogen Pty Ltd has completed a preliminary Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA).
To produce low-cost green hydrogen on a large-scale, Sparc Hydrogen, a joint venture (JV) between Sparc Technologies, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), and the University of Adelaide, is attempting to commercialise the patent-pending photocatalytic water splitting technology.
The preliminary TEA was completed through a collaborative effort coordinated by the University of Adelaide and backed by an independent engineering consultant, ITP Thermal. Sparc Technologies said completing the collaborative effort is an essential milestone for Sparc Hydrogen, and the JV will be expanded based on the outcomes. Venture partners have decided to move the scoping of a pilot plant ahead of the original project timeline.
Sparc Technologies Executive Chairman Stephen Hunt said Sparc Technologies and the Sparc Hydrogen JV had reached a critical milestone, with the preliminary TEA confirming the low-cost promise of this green hydrogen technology. Hunt added that the decision to expedite a pilot plant demonstrates the JV partner’s excitement and is a crucial step towards commercialisation.
“Fortescue is building a worldwide tech network to encourage scientists and engineers from across the globe to advance research and development in technologies. Our goal is to develop green hydrogen and renewable energy innovations and technology, with a specific focus on decarbonising hard-to-abate industries that can be commercialised fast. The result of the preliminary TEA is welcome news,” Fortescue Future Industries CEO Mark Hutchinson stated.
According to the University of Adelaide’s Chief Innovation and Commercialisation, Dr Stephen Rodda, the preliminary TEA and subsequent decision to advance this project are significant and encouraging developments. Rodda said Sparc Hydrogen’s outcome. It also demonstrates our combined resolve as JV partners to confidently advance the commercialisation of this unique technology and attain commercial scale quickly, Rodda added.
Sparc Hydrogen is attempting to commercialise photocatalytic water splitting, a technique that uses the sun’s energy and temperature characteristics to transform water into hydrogen and oxygen. Sparc Hydrogen employs technology created by the University of Adelaide and Flinders University in the form of a solar reactor capable of improving the performance of a selected photocatalyst material.
The preliminary TEA began in early 2022 with the primary goal of demonstrating the relationship between the assumed solar to hydrogen (STH) efficiencies for Sparc Hydrogen’s solar reactor and the levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) produced. Since the project’s inception, the University of Adelaide has been doing fundamental research at the laboratory scale, demonstrating breakthroughs in solar reactor design and performance under various simulated sun conditions. Prior studies in photocatalytic water splitting have employed STH assumptions ranging from 5 to 15 per cent, which is what this TEA considers. The theoretical-practical limit of photocatalytic water splitting is around 30 per cent.
Sparc Hydrogen has generated the early TEA results for internal examination. The joint venture parties have agreed to accelerate the project schedule. They immediately begin scoping work on a pilot plant based on the appealing LCOH under various scenarios and the benefits of the technology. Ongoing research and modelling are being carried out to refine and narrow the potential range of outcomes and the assumptions in the preliminary TEA.
The preliminary TEA assessed the Sparc Green Hydrogen process’s infrastructure, land, and utility requirements. Water and land usage are becoming increasingly crucial in establishing a social licence to operate for large infrastructure and energy projects, particularly renewables, since licencing and grid connection delays have become the norm in Australia. The pilot plant will strive to confirm the technology’s potential to provide significant reductions in electricity, water, and land use compared to existing hydrogen production technologies.
Electrolysis and other hydrogen generation techniques need extensive infrastructure, are often considered at a very large scale to save costs, and may be less suitable for isolated places without access to the electrical or gas grid. Sparc Hydrogen intends to advance its technology to:
- remove the requirement for solar PV and wind farms for green hydrogen production, and therefore decouple green hydrogen expenses derived from renewable electricity;
- illustrate inherent scalability due to the absence of an electrolyser;
- water and land resources are used efficiently;
- accommodate new and improved photocatalysts as science advances in this field; and
- suitable for locations with a high solar resource but no established transmission or grid infrastructure.
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