| Work Detail |
Australia’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation has backed a hydrogen fuel cell developer $7 million to support an innovative form of technology using silicon-based bipolar plates.
Sydney-headquartered hydrogen fuel cell and electrolyzer systems developer and manufacturer start-up Siltrax, has been awarded AUD10.4 million ($7 million) from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).
The financial commitment will help develop an innovative form of hydrogen fuel cell technology that makes lighter, more efficient fuel cells.
Siltrax’s technology uses bipolar plates made from silicon rather than the more commonly used graphite or metallic materials, to produce thinner, more efficient plates.
The use of silicon allows Siltrax to leverage the existing solar cell supply chain for both raw materials, and production equipment.
The CEFC investment will be managed by climate tech venture capital manager Virescent Ventures to help Siltrax build out its Australian research and development team to focus on fuel cell systems engineering and local commercialization opportunities.
Virescent Ventures Managing Partner Ben Gust said one of the advantages of using silicon manufacturing techniques optimized in the solar industry is the potential to lower costs.
“Other advantages of using silicon instead of metal include corrosion resistance and reduced bulk which enables better power density,” Gust said.
Siltrax founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Zhengrong Shi said prices in the solar industry have dropped from between AUD5.9 and AUD7.4 to today’s AUD0.45/W in the last few years.
“Siltrax builds upon the foundations of PV and semiconductor manufacturing, and is able to utilize the existing supply chains, technologies, and talent pool to the fullest.”
The Siltrax technology has the potential to be used in the heavy-duty, long-haul trucking sector, which a CEFC-commissioned Australian Hydrogen Market Study found is likely to be dependent on green hydrogen to reduce emissions, with hydrogen fuel cell powered trucks forecast to be cheaper in the long term than internal combustion engine vehicles as technology costs reduce and utilization of infrastructure improves.
Siltrax’s first target market is stationary power generation, where fuel cells generate electricity through a mechanism that does not require combustion.
CEFC Chief Asset Management Officer Sara Leong said advancing hydrogen fuel cell technology is a critical enabler that will help develop the hydrogen value chain, as well as accelerate the development of Australia’s hydrogen industry. |
