The virtual Hydrogen Knowledge Centre, part of CSIRO’s Hydrogen Industry Mission, has been designed to foster collaboration between the growing Australian hydrogen industry, government, and R&D ecosystems by providing regularly updated information on policies, projects, research, and resources.

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HyResource is Australia’s most comprehensive source of information around projects, policies, and key organizations involved in the development and deployment of clean hydrogen as a low-emissions energy source.

“CSIRO began research into hydrogen fuel to help catalyze a new industry in Australia that would fill the economic gap being created by the transition away from fossil fuels. Australia is now realizing the potential for hydrogen to reduce its emissions and create new economic wealth, thanks to early investment in research,” said CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall.

Across the Hydrogen Knowledge Centre, users can access a broad range of information, from interactive modeling tools forecasting the future cost of hydrogen, based on technology deployment and energy use, to educational resources explaining the basics of hydrogen and its use in the energy mix.

The new module HyLearning is now accessible in addition to two existing modules, HyResource and HyResearch. HyLearning is an online learning and development platform, which uses interactive modeling tools and educational resources that can be accessed by all stakeholders involved in the Australian hydrogen industry.

HyResource is Australia’s most comprehensive source of information around projects, policies, and key organizations involved in the development and deployment of clean hydrogen as a low-emissions energy source. It currently holds information on 98 hydrogen-related industry projects across Australia and New Zealand. This module partners with Future Fuels CRC, the Australian Hydrogen Council, and the National Energy Resources Australia (NERA).

HyResearch is an online tool to help researchers, decision makers, and stakeholders more broadly access hydrogen-related R&D information through an easy-to-navigate platform. It currently holds information on over 200 hydrogen-related R&D projects in Australia from around 30 research, science, and industrial organizations. This module partners with the Australian Hydrogen Research Network.

A new industry map, also part of the Knowledge Centre, will highlight all of the current projects across Australia, and allow users to filter searches by project proponents, end use, and development status. The Knowledge Centre will also feature resources developed by partners and collaborators in the Australian hydrogen industry.

CSIRO Hydrogen Industry Mission spokesperson Vicky Au said the new map showed 85 current hydrogen projects being driven by industry across Australia. “These resources are being developed with state and federal governments, industry, and R&D partners to capture and promote hydrogen projects and industry developments across Australia,” Au said. “The delivery of the Knowledge Centre is an important milestone for our Hydrogen Industry Mission, because it helps connects the dots for all the players involved across the sector.”

Other partner modules with the Knowledge Centre include HyCapability—developed by NERA and the Hydrogen Technology Cluster Australia (H2TCA) network, and the Hydrogen Economic Fairways Tool (HEFT). HyCapability is Australia’s first hydrogen capability finder—a free, online, searchable platform that connects Australian hydrogen businesses with a domestic and global market. Created with the assistance of EconomX, the platform maps regional hydrogen ecosystems and supply chain capacity, making it easier to identify businesses along the hydrogen value chain that have innovative technology, service, and equipment offerings for the hydrogen industry.

Assessments of hydrogen project viability typically focus on evaluating individual sites, or providing generic cost-estimates that are independent of location. In reality, hydrogen project success is intimately linked to the availability of local energy resources, access to key infrastructure and water supplies, and the distance to export ports and energy markets. HEFT incorporates assessments of these regional factors to identify areas of high economic potential for hydrogen production—the so-called “Economic Fairways” for such projects. The results of this analysis highlight available opportunities for hydrogen development and their infrastructure requirements. HEFT accounts for hydrogen production from renewable (wind and solar) sources, as well as nonrenewable sources (steam-methane reformation and coal gasification) combined with carbon capture and storage. In addition, several new capabilities have been added to the HEFT, including break-even price analysis and choice of different export products (i.e., liquid hydrogen or ammonia).

Australia’s Federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic said, “The online Knowledge Centre will be significant in putting hydrogen at the forefront of renewable energy sources, bringing industries, universities, and policymakers together.”

Source: CSIRO—Australia’s Science Agency