The NSW Government has commissioned two new Power to X (P2X) studies, which will investigate ways to turn renewable power into valuable products, while creating new jobs and developing the net-zero economy.
P2X technologies use excess renewable energy to split abundant molecules such as water, carbon dioxide and air to make green products like hydrogen, ammonia, methane and methanol for fuel, chemicals and feedstocks.
The two new studies, the NSW P2X Industry Study and NSW Remote P2X Micro-Hub Feasibility Study, will be led by Scientia Professor Rose Amal and her team from UNSW Sydney in collaboration with delivery partners, to investigate pathways to deploy P2X technologies in the state and abroad.
NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte said the two new studies are an integral part of the NSW Government’s aim to make the state a global P2X innovation hub.
“NSW is on track to be an international pioneer in P2X technologies, which will help to create new jobs and clean, green companies, leveraging our state’s excellent R&D capabilities,” Professor Durrant-Whyte said.
Professor Durrant-Whyte said the recently released NSW 20-Year R&D Roadmap identified P2X as a key technology cluster where the state has competitive advantages in education, research, infrastructure and industrial foundation.
“Both the Roadmap and last year’s NSW Power to X Pre-Feasibility Study confirm that our state has the vital elements for future P2X industries. Now the NSW Government is taking action to investigate production costs, demand and delivery prices for NSW P2X hubs,” Professor Durrant-Whyte said.
Professor Amal said the two new studies will be evidence-based assessments on P2X commercial viability and readiness for a place-based technology deployment strategy in NSW.
“The Industry Study will unearth the state’s potential to become a global leader in P2X, investigating production capability, demand, delivery prices and global supply chain. The Remote Micro-Hub Study will look at the feasibility of deploying small-scale facilities for our remote and island communities to replace diesel fuel,” said Professor Amal.
Professor Amal was recently appointed as the lead for the NSW Powerfuel including Hydrogen Network, an innovation network under the NSW Government’s $15 million Decarbonisation Innovation Hub.
“The network will drive collaboration between industry, research and government and the studies will be the knowledge-sharing piece to bring stakeholders together to progress P2X technology development and deployment in NSW,” Professor Amal said.
The studies will be overseen by the Office of NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer with advice from a NSW Government Working Group comprised of representatives from key departments and agencies.
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Bruce Ritchie | OCSE | 0429 412 426