The DUG Technology Group says it is in the process of filing a number of patent applications related to hydrogen energy storage systems.
DUG described hydrogen energy storage systems as a possible green-power solution when renewable energy sources were not generating power and said the economics of such systems are closely tied to the capital cost of hydrogen electrolysers.
DUG has been developing low-cost, maintainable solutions as part of the Company’s green innovation investment initiatives and said it believes the theoretical and practical aspects of its hydrogen electrolyser research were now mature enough to warrant protecting the novel aspects of this technology.
A working, proof-of-concept electrolyser has been created based on these aspects. The Company’s current modelling suggests, by implementing renewables-generated power and a hydrogen energy storage system, it can generate power at a levelized cost of energy (LCoE) of AU$0.13 per kWh.
This implies a levelized cost of hydrogen (LCoH) of AU$3 per kilogram. While these values are inherently economical, DUG expects they will also have far-reaching implications with respect to both commercial and household applications of the technology.
The Company recently announced the signing of an option to lease land in Geraldton, progressing plans to build the world’s first, climate-positive, high-performance computing campus.
DUG said its award-winning and patented immersion cooling system would be utilised to make the new campus arguably the most energy efficient in the world, as Geraldton was a premium location for green energy, with an ideal climate for both wind and solar. However, on average six hours each day these renewables were not generating – hence an impetus for the Company’s investigations into hydrogen energy storage systems.
Commenting on the applications, DUG’s Chief Engineer Mark Lommers FIEAust said: “Low-cost hydrogen energy storage technology represents a significant milestone in the quest for a solution to the intermittency of traditional renewables generation. These advances complement our innovative approach to data centre cooling systems to deliver the world’s most climate-friendly HPC.”
DUG Managing Director Dr Matthew Lamont added: “It is an understatement to say that we are very excited by the potential of this opportunity. Green-technology solutions that help to reconcile both environmental and economic agendas are today’s mandate as we transition to a sustainable future.”
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