The Hon Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation
Alison Byrnes MP, Member for Cunningham
The Albanese Government is backing Australian innovation and advanced manufacturing with a $49 million investment in Hysata to scale up production of its world-leading hydrogen electrolysers at Port Kembla, creating jobs in the Illawarra and strengthening Australia's clean-energy industrial capability.
Supported through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency's (ARENA) Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund, the investment will help expand manufacturing capability in the Illawarra Region and strengthen Australia's domestic clean-energy manufacturing capability.
Electrolysers use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and are the key technology for producing renewable hydrogen.
Hysata's technology uses less electricity than conventional electrolysers, helping reduce the cost of renewable hydrogen for hard-to-abate industries such as steelmaking, fertiliser production and heavy transport. The project will strengthen Australia's role in global clean-energy supply chains and support the Government's Future Made in Australia agenda to build industrial capability, strengthen Australia's economic resilience and create secure, well-paid jobs.
The $98 million project will establish commercial-scale manufacturing of Hysata's innovative electrolyser technology, which the company says can achieve system efficiency of around 95 per cent, compared with 65 to 75 per cent for other modern electrolysers.
It is funded equally by the Albanese Government and Hysata, with the company matching the $49 million grant dollar for dollar from private capital and has helped crowd in more than $220 million of investment from global investors.
The new manufacturing facility is helping turn Australian research into Australian-made technology and supporting the growth of Australia's clean-energy manufacturing sector.
The project will establish a 50 MW per annum manufacturing line, with capacity to increase to up to 200 MW per annum through continuous operations as demand grows.
Developed from research originating at the University of Wollongong, the project is expected to create around 40 new manufacturing, engineering and technical jobs in the Illawarra and contribute to Australia's growing clean-energy workforce.
The project also supports Illawarra businesses through local supply chains, with Hysata spending $20 to $30 million with Australian suppliers each year, building a regional clean technology manufacturing ecosystem.
Hysata also supports a training and skills development pathway delivered in partnership with the University of Wollongong and TAFE NSW Illawarra, helping to build the skilled workforce needed to manufacture Hysata's world-leading electrolysers.
In addition, the project includes deployment of early commercial-scale, megawatt-scale electrolyser systems.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen:
"This project is a major jobs and economic opportunity for the Illawarra and helps ensure Australia makes more of the clean-energy technology the world needs.
"Hysata's electrolyser can help reduce the cost of hydrogen production and decarbonise energy-intensive sectors like steel, fertiliser and heavy transport.
"Making electrolysers here in Australia is a huge opportunity to strengthen our manufacturing capability, back local innovation, create skilled jobs and seize a bigger share of the global clean-energy technology market."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Industry and Innovation, Tim Ayres:
"This is exactly what a Future Made in Australia looks like: Australian research, Australian manufacturing and Australian workers building the technologies that will power the industries of the future.
"Hysata is a great example of Australian ingenuity being turned into commercial opportunity, creating jobs in the Illawarra while strengthening Australia's clean-energy manufacturing capability.
"By backing innovative companies like Hysata to scale up, we're helping ensure more world-leading technology is invented here, made here and exported to the world."
Quotes attributable to Member for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes:
"Hysata is a true local success story - born from University of Wollongong research, backed by government and now delivering to customers around the globe.
"This $49 million brings Australian Government investment in Hysata's revolutionary electrolysers to more than $84 million in grant funding, alongside around $26 million of equity investment through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, helping to scale up production and create even more skilled local jobs, with Hysata recently employing its 120th employee.
"Together with our investments in Sicona, Gravitas, BlueScope and more, we're building an advanced manufacturing network that is putting our region on the world stage.
"The Illawarra has the skills, capability and drive to help power Australia's clean-energy future, and the Albanese Labor Government is backing local jobs, local innovation and a Future Made in the Illawarra."
