Power play: Brisbane firm says it can provide renewable energy ‘missing link’

May 26, 2023

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A Brisbane firm says it has developed a hydrogen power bank to replace diesel back-ups by storing renewable energy in periods when sun, wind and tide generation is low.

Two years ago, Endua – formed by one of the pioneers of the Brisbane electric car charging company Tritium – won the support of CSIRO, fossil fuel company Ampol and the Queensland Investment Corporation to develop a portable hydrogen power bank.

Hydrogen-powered vehicles and hydrogen batteries were features of the World Hydrogen Summit in the Netherlands in May 2023.Credit: Hans van Leeuwen

Endua intends to replace diesel-powered batteries and generators by storing renewable energy as hydrogen before converting it back to electricity.

On Tuesday, founder Paul Sernia will demonstrate a proof of concept with a six-metre by three-metre hydrogen power bank near Endua's factory at Archerfield.

"Our power banks plug a critical gap in achieving the clean energy transition and stabilising power when the grid cannot be relied on, especially in our regional and remote power communities," Sernia said.

"They can generate enough stored hydrogen to replace diesel for off-grid power generation at any site such as a cattle farm or power communications equipment operating at the edge."

The hydrogen power banks can store 100kW hours of energy, which could power a farm shed, several homes, standalone telecommunications infrastructure and warning signs and lights at roads, mines and railways.

The portable hydrogen power bank developed by Brisbane firm Endua can store 110 kilowatts of energy for up to five days, enough to power several homes, lights or warning signs at rail or roads, or irrigation pumps.

Sernia sees their concept as a "missing link" in connecting large amounts of alternative energy to businesses that need a reliable supply of electricity.

It comes after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Saturday announced the Queensland government would legislate a target of 70 per cent renewable energy by 2032 into law, rising to 80 per cent in 2035.

Sernia said the renewables push demonstrated the need for hydrogen power banks.

"We can't go beyond 60 or 70 per cent renewable without some kind of long-duration, multi-day storage," he said.

"So it is complementary to alternative energy production. You still have generation, you still have batteries, but this picks up where those batteries leave off."

Hydrogen batteries have been explored for years, with household versions in 2021 costing about $24,000 per unit capable of storing 40 kilowatts hours of energy.

Sernia said that by scaling up Endua's production, the cost of hydrogen power banks could come down to one-third of a traditional industrial battery.

Among Sernia's financial backers is the Queensland Investment Corporation.

Sales will initially focus on the off-grid diesel generator market, which accounts for $1.5 billion of diesel and 200,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.