Pilot Plant To Prove Hydrogen Viability
(The following is an article that was posted on Wednesday 20 August 2025 on themelancholicseeker.wordpress.com. Please note that the information contained is dated and may not be accurate.)
A Western Australian company hopes to prove the economic viability of hydrogen on an industrial scale with the official opening of its pilot plant in Kwinana, located south of Perth, on Monday.
Carbon280 CEO Mark Rheinlander said the A$16 million facility will address a significant bottleneck in the hydrogen supply chain – namely the need to make hydrogen, a volatile element – safe enough to store at ambient temperature and pressure, which in turn makes it easier to transport.
“Rather than transporting a highly flammable gas you are storing and transporting a safe, low-cost liquid that stores hydrogen under ambient conditions,” he said.
“Low-cost and ease of handling will simplify and speed (up) the implementation of hydrogen projects globally, enabling hydrogen use in applications and geographies with less sophisticated infrastructure.”
The hydrogen plant will use the company’s proprietary technology – a liquid solution called Hydrilite – to separate hydrogen from a mix of other gasses and ‘lock’ it into the solution, making it ready for storage and/or transport. Reversing the process will ‘unlock’ the hydrogen, which can then be used.
In this form, it is safe enough to be pumped using existing infrastructure, which include pipelines, tankers and ships.
Although still in its early stages, the company said the potential of the safe transport and storage of hydrogen for industry are ‘game changing’ and further de-risks investment in Australia’s nascent hydrogen industry.
“The (plant)… will prove the Hydrilyte technology at an industrially relevant scale, delivering critical performance data for partners and investors,” The company said in a statement.
“A successful outcome will validate Carbon280’s technology, reducing the cost for existing hydrogen users, improving the economics and speed the implementation of future projects, including production of green iron, synthetic aviation fuels and methanol.”
It is a view shared by the Western Australian government, which see the production of green iron and steel as a strategic importance to the state’s economy.
Present at the official opening of the Kwinana plant was state Energy and Decarbonisation minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, who said the prospect of a safe and scalable way to transport hydrogen was ‘groundbreaking’ for the transition to renewable sources of energy.
“With its focus on improving the cost competitiveness of the hydrogen supply chain, Carbon280’s technology has the potential to have a significant impact on the hydrogen industry in Australia and across the globe,” she said.
“It also supports advanced manufacturing, economic diversification and the creation of skilled jobs here in Western Australia.” Carbon280 said A$10.6 million funding for the pilot plant has come from petroleum company Woodside, United Kingdom-based renewable energy company and a Singaporean family office. It also said that it has forecasted a A$5.5 million research and development rebate from the WA government.
A Western Australian company hopes to prove the economic viability of hydrogen on an industrial scale with the official opening of its pilot plant in Kwinana, located south of Perth, on Monday.
Carbon280 CEO Mark Rheinlander said the A$16 million facility will address a significant bottleneck in the hydrogen supply chain – namely the need to make hydrogen, a volatile element – safe enough to store at ambient temperature and pressure, which in turn makes it easier to transport.
“Rather than transporting a highly flammable gas you are storing and transporting a safe, low-cost liquid that stores hydrogen under ambient conditions,” he said.
“Low-cost and ease of handling will simplify and speed (up) the implementation of hydrogen projects globally, enabling hydrogen use in applications and geographies with less sophisticated infrastructure.”
The hydrogen plant will use the company’s proprietary technology – a liquid solution called Hydrilite – to separate hydrogen from a mix of other gasses and ‘lock’ it into the solution, making it ready for storage and/or transport. Reversing the process will ‘unlock’ the hydrogen, which can then be used.
In this form, it is safe enough to be pumped using existing infrastructure, which include pipelines, tankers and ships.
Although still in its early stages, the company said the potential of the safe transport and storage of hydrogen for industry are ‘game changing’ and further de-risks investment in Australia’s nascent hydrogen industry.
“The (plant)… will prove the Hydrilyte technology at an industrially relevant scale, delivering critical performance data for partners and investors,” The company said in a statement.
“A successful outcome will validate Carbon280’s technology, reducing the cost for existing hydrogen users, improving the economics and speed the implementation of future projects, including production of green iron, synthetic aviation fuels and methanol.”
It is a view shared by the Western Australian government, which see the production of green iron and steel as a strategic importance to the state’s economy.
Present at the official opening of the Kwinana plant was state Energy and Decarbonisation minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, who said the prospect of a safe and scalable way to transport hydrogen was ‘groundbreaking’ for the transition to renewable sources of energy.
“With its focus on improving the cost competitiveness of the hydrogen supply chain, Carbon280’s technology has the potential to have a significant impact on the hydrogen industry in Australia and across the globe,” she said.
“It also supports advanced manufacturing, economic diversification and the creation of skilled jobs here in Western Australia.” Carbon280 said A$10.6 million funding for the pilot plant has come from petroleum company Woodside, United Kingdom-based renewable energy company and a Singaporean family office. It also said that it has forecasted a A$5.5 million research and development rebate from the WA government.