ARENA awards $59.1 million to hydrogen, steel-related R&D projects

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $59.1 million in funding supporting 21 R&D and commercialisation projects involving renewable hydrogen and low emission iron and steel.

According to a statement from the federal government’s ARENA on Wednesday, the funding supports research teams “from some of Australia’s top universities, research organisations, startups and companies.”

The agency said that an initial $25 million in grant funding was provided for the two funding rounds – Renewable Hydrogen and Iron & Steel – though the allocation was bumped up to $59.1 million “due to the quality of applications” received.

The Iron & Steel R&D round aims to support “emissions abatement pathways in the production of iron and steel” and the Hydrogen R&D round aims “to accelerate the commercialisation of renewable hydrogen through innovation in hydrogen production, storage and distribution technologies.”

Among projects (a full list from ARENA for both rounds is reproduced below) for Renewable Hydrogen are those led by startups Hysata ($3 million in funding), Jupiter Ionics ($2.5 million) and Fortescue subsidiary MIH2 ($4.9 million.)

MIH2 also received $5 million support through the Iron & Steel round.

The Iron & Steel cohort also includes projects led by University of Wollongong ($2 million), HILT CRC ($1.4 million), and University of Newcastle ($2.9 million.)

“Innovation starts in the lab, and we have the best minds taking our decarbonisation efforts to the next level – to the benefit of all Australians through jobs, lower emissions and cheaper energy,” said ARENA CEO Darren Miller.

“ARENA has a strong track record in funding and supporting early-stage innovation. Through our strategic priorities, we have highlighted the importance of renewable hydrogen and low emissions metals growing to become a significant export industry.”

Grant funding per project is worth between $1.3 million and $5 million. Project funding is provided over two stages: an initial core research stage followed by a research commercialisation stage aimed at scaling up and demonstration of breakthroughs in the market. 

Iron & Steel Funding Round

Recipient: The University of Wollongong
Project: Australian Pilbara Iron Ores in an Electric Smelting Furnace Process
ARENA funding ($): $2 million
Total Project Cost ($): $4.2 million

Recipient: Australian National University
Project: De-risking large-scale Australian fine-ore hydrogen ironmaking
ARENA funding ($): 4.8 million
Total Project Cost ($): $13.7 million

Recipient: The University of Newcastle
Project: Electric Smelting of Australian Hemamite-Geothite DRI
ARENA funding ($): $2.9 million
Total Project Cost ($): $5.9 million

Recipient: MIH2 Pty Ltd (subsidiary of FFI)
Project: Low Temperature Direct Electrochemical Reduction for Zero Emissions Iron
ARENA funding ($): $5 million
Total Project Cost ($): $42.6 million

Recipient: HILT CRC Limited
Project: Upgrading Iron Ore for DRI Production Using Seawater Reverse Osmosis Brines Project
ARENA funding ($): $1.4 million
Total Project Cost ($): $5.7 million

Recipient: Macquarie University
Project: Upcycling of steelmaking slag for material reuse
ARENA funding ($): $1.5 million
Total Project Cost ($): $7.2 million

Recipient: CSIRO
Project: Low temperature iron ore agglomeration process for Australian iron ores
ARENA funding ($): $2.6 million
Total Project Cost ($): $5.3 million

Recipient: University of New South Wales
Project: Blast Furnace Innovations: Integrating New Injections & Burdens for Sustainable, Low-Carbon Ironmaking Transitions
ARENA funding ($): $4.4 million
Total Project Cost ($): $18.1 million

TOTAL ARENA FUNDING: $24.6 million
TOTAL PROJECT COST: $102.7 million

Hydrogen R&D Funding Round

Recipient: Future Energy Exports CRC Limited
Project: Development and demonstration of safe, efficient hydrogen liquefaction through optimised mixed refrigerants and plant design
ARENA funding ($): $2.1 million
Total Project Cost ($): $6.3 million

Recipient: Cavendish Renewable Technology Pty Ltd
Project: Efficient, scalable and modular ammonia to hydrogen/electricity conversion system development and demonstration
ARENA funding ($): $1.6 million
Total Project Cost ($): $4.3 million

Recipient: Hysata Pty Ltd
Project: High-temperature, Ultra-high Efficiency Green Hydrogen Production
ARENA funding ($): $3 million
Total Project Cost ($): $5.9 million

Recipient: Curtin University
Project: Hydrogen export using a powder
ARENA funding ($): $5 million
Total Project Cost ($): $16.5 million

Recipient: Monash University
Project: Lowering the cost of proton exchange water electrolysis systems
ARENA funding ($): $2.3 million
Total Project Cost ($): $7.2 million

Recipient: Australian National University
Project: Accelerating the Commercialisation of the Direct Solar-to-Hydrogen Technology
ARENA funding ($): $2.2 million
Total Project Cost ($): $7.5 million

Recipient: University of Melbourne
Project: Mega-Scale Liquid H2 Storage with Super-Insulated Full-Containment and Zero-Boil-Off
ARENA funding ($): $3.1 million
Total Project Cost ($): $6.6 million

Recipient: The University of Sydney
Project: Advanced Manufacturing Alkaline Electrolyser Cell-Stacks for Affordable and Scalable Green Hydrogen Production
ARENA funding ($): $2.2 million
Total Project Cost ($): $5.9 million

Recipient: University of New South Wales
Project: Production, Multiphase Electrolysers for Renewable Ammonia Production
ARENA funding ($): $1.9 million
Total Project Cost ($): $7.2 million

Recipient: Australian National University
Project: H2 storage enabled by nano-scaffolded gas hydrate capsules with ground-source energy utilisation
ARENA funding ($): $1.4 million
Total Project Cost ($): $5.5 million

Recipient: Jupiter Ionics Pty Ltd
Project: Capital Cost reduction in electrochemical ammonia synthesis
ARENA funding ($): $2.5 million
Total Project Cost ($): $6.5 million

Recipient: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
Project: Solar-Energy-Driven Modular Floatable Device for Scalable Green Hydrogen Production from Wastewater
ARENA funding ($): $2 million
Total Project Cost ($): $5.9 million

Recipient: MIH2 Pty Ltd (subsidiary of FFI)
Project: Scale up and demonstration of next generation CSIRO axial flow electrolyser for green hydrogen production
ARENA funding ($): $4.9 million
Total Project Cost ($): $14.3 million

Picture: credit Dylan May/ARENA