Sparc receives grant as green hydrogen tests show promise

Sparc Technologies partner the University of Adelaide, on behalf of Sparc Hydrogen, has been awarded funding under Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) grant programme.

The $470,511 funding awarded under the AEA Seed round will be used to accelerate laboratory testing of Sparc Hydrogen’s photocatalytic water splitting (PWS) reactor under simulated solar conditions.

It will also support technology prototype testing at the CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle, New South Wales.

The funding application was selected from more than 200 proposals received in Tranche 1 of the AEA Seed round, reflecting the highly competitive nature of the round.

Sparc Technologies Executive Chairman Stephen Hunt said: “Receipt of grant funding…reflects both the strength of the application and the game-changing potential of the photocatalytic water splitting technology under development.

“This funding will enable Sparc Hydrogen to accelerate and build on laboratory-based testing and on-sun prototyping at the CSIRO.”

The AEA program will initially run over ten years from 2023 to 2032, supported by a $1.6 billion investment from the Australian Government, as part of its University Research Commercialisation Action Plan.

Sparc Hydrogen said two rounds of testing of its prototype PWS reactor had taken place at the CSIRO, with the reactor and associated plant performing well at the planned upper limits of solar concentration and temperatures.

Data will feed into pilot scale reactor development going forward.

Sparc Hydrogen is a joint venture between Sparc Technologies, The University of Adelaide and Fortescue Future Industries

Its photocatalytic water splitting (PWS) technology uses only sunlight, water and a photocatalyst, and is an alternative to producing green hydrogen via electrolysis.

Further reading:
Sparc Hydrogen to test water splitting with CSIRO

Picture: Sparc Technologies/prototype testing facility at CSIRO