Endua has installed the first 100kW stand-alone hydrogen power bank in Brisbane, Australia. The news comes weeks after the company raised A$11.8 million ($7.81 million) to scale the technology.
Brisbane-based startup Endua has unveiled its first hydrogen battery in the Brisbane suburb of Archerfield, close to its headquarters, as a test bed. Endua’s hydrogen power bank uses electrolysis technology developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and is capable of producing 100 kW per unit.
Archerfield’s hydrogen battery provides enough power to drive a water pump, a farm shed or separate telecommunications infrastructure, Endua said. The solution is designed to replace diesel generators in off-grid and remote locations, and the company lists farms, telecommunications infrastructure and microgrid communities as potential users.
Endua’s hydrogen battery uses renewable energy as a power source for a small-scale polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer developed by CSIRO. The hydrogen is then stored as a compressed gas and can be converted back into electricity via an internal fuel cell if necessary.
“Our power bank allows us to decouple stand-alone and micro-grid systems from fossil fuel-fired diesel and provide a cheaper long-term solution than batteries,” said Endua CEO Paul Sernia.
The company said the hydrogen battery is highly configurable and can be scaled according to on-site demand due to its modular design.
Australia, particularly Western Australia, has rapidly adopted solar-powered stand-alone power plants and micro-grids because these technologies offer significant cost savings compared to maintaining poles and wires or diesel generators. However, these solutions almost always have a small diesel backup generator.
In May, the company said it had raised more than 11.8 million Australian dollars to expand its hydrogen battery solution. Investors in the increase were Queensland Investment Corp., Melt Ventures, Ampol and CSIRO.
Endua is currently commercializing the recently announced 100 kW power bank.
