Startup’s Hydrogen Breakthrough May Give New Life to Coal Plants
Australian lab uses catalyst to generate 700ºC heat from hydrogen that could be used to retrofit power stations.
An employee runs a test demonstrating the Hydrogen Energy Release Optimiser at Star Scientific’s facility in Berkeley Vale, Australia.
Photographer: Brent Lewin/BloombergA small Australian research lab tucked away in a coastal town, 70 kilometers (43 miles) north of Sydney, says it has developed a patented technology using a catalyst that can turn hydrogen and oxygen into superheated steam capable of driving a power-station turbine.
“Our model works on heat from hydrogen,” said Andrew Horvath, chairman of Star Scientific Ltd. The system is “plug-and-play,” he said at the company’s research facility in the town of Berkeley Vale. “It is quickly deployable, it’s a lot smarter to work with.”