December 14, 2023

UOW-born company Hysata honoured with prestigious award at COP28

Energy Transition Changemaker award recognises game-changing green hydrogen technology

An Australian company that was born at the University of Wollongong (UOW) and is accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels to green hydrogen was this month (7 December) recognised on a global stage, with the Energy Transition Changemaker award at COP28.

Hysata received the award at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP28, in the United Arab Emirates, alongside 38 companies from around the world. They were the only Australian company to receive the award, beating a field of more than 1000 contenders. 

Now based at Port Kembla, Hysata is at the forefront of the green energy revolution by developing the world’s most efficient, simple, and reliable electrolyser.

The award, which recognises businesses on the front line of the green energy revolution, acknowledged Hysata’s work in Queensland, where they are developing a five-megawatt electrolyser alongside power-generator Stanwell for use in Rockhampton.

Electrolysers, which use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, are the key technology for producing green hydrogen.

The Hysata electrolyser is based on breakthrough Australian technology developed by a team from the UOW headquartered ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, led by chemical catalysis and characterisation expert Professor Gerry Swiegers.

UOW Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Patricia M Davidson congratulated the team from Hysata on their recognition at COP28.

“This is a really wonderful and proud moment for the team from Hysata, for the region, and for the University of Wollongong, where this technology was born,” Professor Davidson said.

“Congratulations to Hysata! We are thrilled that their game-changing work in this vital field, which has the potential to shift the economics of green hydrogen, is being acknowledged on a global stage.”

The Energy Transition Changemakers award was developed to recognise the private sector’s role in delivering game-changing, innovative and scalable decarbonisation projects that have the potential to be replicate and scaled.

Hysata recently opened a large-scale global headquarters and electrolyser manufacturing facility in Port Kembla. Previously based at UOW’s Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, Hysata commercialised their technology with backing from IP Group and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.