Australia's Economic Accelerator Seed Tranche 1 funding backs hydrogen tech
Two hydrogen tech projects are among the 11 higher education research projects funded in Seed Tranche 1 with a focus on renewables and low emission technologies
The Australian Government is investing $1.6 billion to accelerate reform in the higher education sector for the translation and commercialisation of university research through a stage-gated funding program, Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA).
The AEA aims to support translation and commercialisation activities aligned with national research priorities and will be supported by expert governance arrangements.
The program will develop a pipeline from discovery through to commercialisation, ensuring Australia reaps the benefits of investment in research within the university sector.
Projects that have earned Seed Tranche 1 funding have been announced this week. Two projects specifically focus on hydrogen tech.
- University: RMIT University
Title: NanoVibeH2: High Frequency Sound Wave Electrolytic Enhancement for Efficient Green Hydrogen Production
Lead: A/Prof Amgad Rezk
Amount: $157,282
By using high-frequency vibrations to “divide and conquer” individual water molecules during electrolysis, the research team have managed to split the water molecules to release 14 times more hydrogen compared with standard electrolysis techniques.
- University: The University of Adelaide
Title: On-sun testing of thermo-photocatalytic water-splitting for hydrogen production
Lead: Prof Greg Metha
Amount: $470,511
This project will develop a thermo-photocatalytic water-splitting reactor for the production of hydrogen. The reactor has been proven at lab-scale, and when fully developed will provide an alternative to fossil-fuel-based hydrogen that is cost competitive and has little-to-no carbon footprint.
