Beyond Electrolysis: Sparc Hydrogen's Technology for Low-Cost Green Hydrogen

What if producing green hydrogen didn’t require an electrolyser and the associated infrastructure?

In this episode of Exploring Clean Energy, host Andy Marsland is joined by Alana Barlow, CEO of Sparc Hydrogen, and Professor Greg Metha, Lead Researcher, to explore a different pathway for renewable hydrogen production: “photocatalysts” (PCs) and “photoelectrochemicals” (PECs) for water splitting.

As the hydrogen sector works to overcome the cost and infrastructure challenges associated with conventional green hydrogen, Sparc Hydrogen is developing technology that uses sunlight to split water directly into hydrogen and oxygen.

Often described as “artificial photosynthesis”, the process has the potential to simplify hydrogen production by removing the need to first generate electricity and then feed that electricity into an electrolyser.

Alana and Greg take Andy inside the science, economics and commercialisation pathway behind the technology - from the challenge of electricity costs and the importance of solar-to-hydrogen efficiency, through to Sparc Hydrogen’s pilot plant in South Australia and its ambitions for commercial-scale deployment.

Meet the Guests

Alana Barlow - CEO, Sparc Hydrogen

Alana is CEO of Sparc Hydrogen, a production technology company developing low-cost photocatalytic water splitting technology.

Her career spans government, project development, asset management and commercial law, with the past six years focused on alternative energy including hydrogen and its derivatives, biogases and bio-liquids.

Previously working with Sumitomo Corporation across hydrogen, resources and energy, Alana led the final investment decision on the A$111 million Sumitomo Gladstone Green Hydrogen Project, developed in partnership with Rio Tinto.

Today, her focus is on enabling and emerging technologies capable of reducing the levelised cost of hydrogen and supporting the industry's next stage of development.

Professor Greg Metha - Lead Researcher, Sparc Hydrogen

Greg is a Professor of Chemistry and Co-Director of the Centre for Energy Technology at Adelaide University.

He established and convenes the international Hydrogen Production Technology (HyPT) series of forums and is involved in a range of international hydrogen research initiatives, including the NSF-CSIRO Global Center for Hydrogen Production, the IEA Hydrogen Technology Collaboration Programme and Mission Innovation's Sunlight-to-X Innovation Platform.

Greg heads the Metal Cluster Laboratory, where his research explores the physical and chemical properties of sub-nanometre metallic particles, novel catalysts and advanced photocatalytic reactors operating under concentrated solar radiation.

This research contributed to the establishment of Sparc Hydrogen, where Greg continues as Lead Researcher.

Minutes

0:42 - The problem facing green hydrogen today

4:07 - How photocatalytic hydrogen production works

5:59 - Why 10% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency matters

11:31 - Sparc Hydrogen's partnership with SunHydrogen

12:15 - Inside the SHARP pilot plant

18:05 - Simpler infrastructure and remote hydrogen production

22:41 - The partners helping commercialise the technology

24:08 - From pilot plant to commercial deployment

26:31 - Where could photocatalytic hydrogen be used?

32:42 - The biggest opportunities to bring costs down

33:54 - Rapid fire: hydrogen misconceptions and Australia's energy challenge

Key Takeaways

Green hydrogen's challenge isn't simply producing renewable electricity - it's accessing enough low-cost renewable electricity to make hydrogen economically viable at scale.

Photocatalytic water splitting offers a fundamentally different approach by using sunlight to produce hydrogen directly, potentially removing several pieces of electrical infrastructure required by conventional electrolysis.

For Sparc Hydrogen, solar-to-hydrogen efficiency is critical. Reaching and ultimately exceeding the key efficiency range could significantly change the economics of the technology.

But laboratory efficiency alone won't determine commercial success. Long-term durability, low-cost infrastructure, manufacturability and successful progression from pilot to commercial demonstration will all be important.

Perhaps most importantly, the episode highlights the continuing evolution of hydrogen technology. Electrolysis is not the only pathway being explored - and technologies emerging from research today could play a role in changing how renewable hydrogen is produced tomorrow.

About Exploring Clean Energy

Hosted by Andy Marsland and sponsored by Stellar Recruitment, Exploring Clean Energy brings listeners into the heart of the energy transition, exploring where innovation, technology and sustainability converge.

Through conversations with technical experts, project leaders and industry changemakers, the podcast examines the technologies, opportunities and challenges shaping Australia's energy future and the global transition to cleaner energy.

Links

Learn more about Sparc Hydrogen: www.sparchydrogen.com

Connect with Alana Barlow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alana-barlow-a2252649/

Connect with Professor Greg Metha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-metha-58954857/