Carbon280’s TRL6 prototype showcases its Hydrilyte technology at “an industrially relevant scale,” storing hydrogen as a liquid at ambient conditions for transport via existing fuel infrastructure. The system can also separate hydrogen from helium for storage and delivery.

“Natural hydrogen in combination with Hydrilyte will be game-changing for the use of hydrogen across all industries, including energy, by slashing costs and simplifying handling,” explained Founder and CEO Mark Rheinlander.

The pilot plant is expected to provide performance and validation data for partners, investors and a potential future scale-up.

The lab and pilot were backed by AUD $10.6m ($6.9m) in seed funding led by Woodside Energy, alongside Hive Energy and a Singapore family office, plus AUD $5.5m ($3.5m) in Australian government R&D rebates.

“Low-cost and ease of handling will simplify and speed the implementation of hydrogen projects globally, enabling hydrogen use in applications and geographies with less sophisticated infrastructure,” added Rheinlander.

The Australian Hydrogen Council (AHC), of which Carbon280 is a member, said the company’s technology tackles a major bottleneck in hydrogen storage by removing temperature constraints.

It called the pilot “another great example of progress under Future Made in Australia priorities.”