• Carbon280 secures $10.8M funding led by Woodside Energy, Hive Energy, and others to advance Hydrilyte, a safer hydrogen storage system.
  • Breakthrough technology promises cheaper, safer hydrogen transport, easing supply chain bottlenecks and boosting Australia’s clean energy goals.

Australian startup Carbon280, based in Perth, has raised $10.8 million to develop Hydrilyte, a ground-breaking hydrogen storage system.

The need for costly and dangerous high-pressure or cryogenic systems, which have historically been employed in the industry, is eliminated by this invention in liquid hydrogen storage, which enables hydrogen to be securely kept at room temperature and pressure.

With more than $16 million in total investment, including this seed round led by Woodside Energy, UK renewable firm Hive Energy, a Singaporean family office, and government R&D support, Carbon280 recently opened a state-of-the-art Hydrilyte Technology Pilot Plant in Kwinana, Western Australia.

In order to provide vital information for commercialization and investor confidence, the 100kW prototype plant seeks to validate the technology on an industrial scale.

Hydrilyte technology transforms hydrogen into a cheap, safe, and non-toxic liquid that can be transported and stored using tankers and pipelines that are already in place.

This could enable broader adoption globally, particularly in areas without advanced transportation infrastructure, and significantly lower the costs and risks related to hydrogen supply chains.

The discovery comes at a good time as Australia's hydrogen industry deals with a number of issues, such as big players abandoning projects due to increased costs. The invention of Carbon280 provides a safe, effective, and reasonably priced way to store and transport hydrogen, which is one of its main bottlenecks.

Furthermore, because natural hydrogen and helium have similar molecular sizes and are therefore famously difficult to separate, Hydrilyte technology makes it easier to separate and store these gases, which could open up new value streams.

Mark Rheinlander, the company's founder and CEO, said, "Rather than transporting a highly flammable gas, you are storing and transporting a safe, low-cost liquid that stores hydrogen under ambient conditions." 

The pilot plant is an important step toward commercial rollout, with the potential to boost the expansion of the hydrogen industry and contribute to Australia's clean energy goals.

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah