Clarke Energy Australasia is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a significant grant to participate in an innovative project aimed at converting nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from exhaust pipes into usable ammonia. The initiative led by UNSW Sydney, supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), represents a major advancement in sustainable energy technology and our commitment to reducing harmful emissions.
Project Overview
The project, detailed on the ARENA website, aims to enable the decentralised on-demand production of renewable ammonia, an essential component in the emerging hydrogen economy and serves as an efficient energy carrier. This will be achieved by scaling the OzAmmonia technology to a commercially viable stage.
Project Stages
The project will be executed in two main stages:
Core Research Stage (Stage 1)
The initial phase will develop and validate a TRL 6 prototype that can be used for either Air-to-Ammonia configuration, generating green ammonia purely from air and water, or the Waste-to-Ammonia configuration, where the system can be used to convert waste NOx to ammonia.
Key activities include:
- Advancement of Multiphase Electrolysers: Incorporating optimised and scaled-up electrode stacks.
- Integration and Prototype Development: Scaling up the electrolyser and developing prototypes.
- Business Model and Scale-Up Plan: Crafting a comprehensive plan for commercialisation.
Research Commercialisation Stage (Stage 2)
Building on the progress made in Stage 1, this phase involves:
- Technology Spinout: Forming a startup to attract investment and negotiate terms.
Clarke Energy’s Role
Clarke Energy Australia’s role in this ambitious project involves providing NOx data from our engines and assisting in future trials during the commercialisation stage. Our contribution reflects our commitment to advancing this technology.
We are excited to collaborate with renowned institutions and companies such as UNSW Sydney, IP Group, Plasma Leap, Fraunhofer IST, ARUP and Deloitte.
Expected Outcomes
The anticipated outcomes of this project are transformative and align perfectly with our mission to promote sustainable energy solutions. As outlined by ARENA, these outcomes include:
- Accelerated commercialisation of renewable ammonia through innovative Research and Development in hydrogen vector production technologies;
- Increased academic research capacity in the Australian hydrogen and its derivatives sector and the facilitation of collaboration between research groups and industry;
- Improvement in the technology readiness and commercial readiness of hydrogen vector production technologies;
- Improve the selectivity and conversion rate of NOx feedstock to increase system efficiency.
- Increased ammonia yield rate using the multiphase electrolyser by improving the Faradaic efficiency and current density of the catalysts;
- Decreased overall system production cost of ammonia, presenting a pathway for technology to be competitive as an energy carrier and fertiliser.
Commitment to Sustainability
Michael Jones, Sales & Business Development Director, Clarke Energy Australia, states:
“At Clarke Energy, this project marks a positive step towards achieving substantial emissions reductions and underscores our dedication to pioneering cleaner, more efficient energy technologies. By actively participating in this initiative, we contribute to cutting-edge research and development, and demonstrate our steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship. We look forward to the successful implementation of this project and the myriad benefits it promises for the energy sector and beyond.”
Stay tuned for updates as we progress through this exciting journey towards a greener future.
