CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, has successfully trialed its groundbreaking hydrogen production technology at BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks in New South Wales. This trial has proven that affordable and renewable hydrogen can be generated on a large scale, contributing to the decarbonization of heavy industries. The pilot, which began in October 2024, focused on CSIRO’s tubular solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) technology, which has now successfully operated for over 1,000 hours.

Conventional hydrogen electrolysers primarily rely on electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. However, CSIRO’s innovative SOE technology goes beyond this by using both waste heat—such as steam produced during steelmaking—and electricity to generate hydrogen, resulting in improved efficiency. The technology produced hydrogen with an electrical input of less than 36kWh per kilogram, utilizing the steam from BlueScope’s steelmaking processes. This reduction in electricity use, by up to 30%, represents a significant advancement in reducing costs in the production of renewable hydrogen.

Dr. Sarb Giddey, Senior Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, emphasized the importance of this achievement. “Electricity accounts for the majority of variable production costs in renewable hydrogen, so a reduction in the electricity required for hydrogen production could be a game-changer for the industry,” he said. Dr. Giddey also noted that while real-world trials often reveal unforeseen challenges, the technology has performed well in terms of hydrogen output, electrical efficiency, and reliability.

BlueScope’s Head of Future Technologies, Chris Page, stated that hydrogen is a key component of the company’s long-term strategy for achieving net-zero emissions. He praised the CSIRO electrolyser pilot, saying, “We are proud to support pilot projects like this on our site, which align with our goals of reducing carbon emissions in steelmaking. The CSIRO electrolyser pilot has already yielded positive results in its short-term operation, and we are excited to see it evolve further.” BlueScope’s commitment to these projects underlines the role that industrial innovation will play in achieving sustainable, low-carbon steel production.

CSIRO’s spinout company, Hadean Energy, has licensed the SOE technology and is focused on advancing industrial decarbonization through the commercial development of this technology. Hadean Energy’s CEO, Chris Rowland, explained that the tubular SOE technology is inherently less expensive to manufacture, thanks to its simplified production process and the use of readily available materials. “The successful 1,000-hour trial validates the technology in a real-world industrial setting, which helps increase the technology's readiness for commercial deployment,” Rowland said. He added that the trial demonstrates the potential of Hadean Energy’s electrolyser to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries, such as steelmaking.

This research has been supported by the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF), which is dedicated to funding and promoting breakthrough technologies like CSIRO’s SOE technology. The successful trial represents a crucial step forward in demonstrating the commercial viability of advanced hydrogen production technologies, offering new solutions to the challenges of reducing emissions in industrial sectors globally. The outcome of this project has the potential to reshape the future of renewable hydrogen production and contribute significantly to industrial decarbonization efforts.