CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has successfully trialed its innovative hydrogen production technology at BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks in New South Wales, proving that affordable, renewable hydrogen can be produced at scale for decarbonizing heavy industry.
The trial, which began in October 2024, saw CSIRO’s tubular solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) technology operate for over 1,000 hours. Unlike conventional hydrogen electrolysers, CSIRO’s SOE technology uses both waste heat (such as steam from steelmaking) and electricity, achieving higher efficiency in hydrogen production.
Dr. Sarb Giddey, Senior Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, noted that the trial produced hydrogen with less than 36kWh of electrical input per kilogram, leveraging steam from steelmaking processes.
