Groundbreaking invention: producing the world’s cheapest green hydrogen | University of Wollongong

Green hydrogen will be essential for decarbonising ‘hard-to-abate’ sectors of the economy, responsible for 20 percent of the world’s emissions, and is expected to generate an estimated 10,000 new jobs and $26 billion annually in additional GDP annually by 2050.

However, current electrolysers - the devices used in the production of hydrogen - are complex, costly, inefficient and difficult to scale.

Professor Gerhard Swiegers and his team at the University of Wollongong have developed a groundbreaking capillary-fed electrolyser with 95 per cent system efficiency, reducing energy consumption by optimising water distribution and minimizing losses.  

This innovation is now powering Hysata, an Australian electrolyser manufacturing company, creating highly skilled jobs in Port Kembla and revolutionizing the global economics of green hydrogen production. Hysata’s success places Australia at the forefront of global decarbonisation efforts.

Finalist - Professor Gerhard Swiegers