Investing in the future fuel

Developing a proprietary wind-based green hydrogen production system utilising advanced aerodynamics and rotor blade design and a high-performance (AEMWE) electrolyser using cheaper and more readily available materials.

Hydrogen is essential to combatting climate change:

• The hydrogen economy is centred around using hydrogen to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as mining, cement, steel, and long-haul transport and developing the associated energy delivery infrastructure.
• Hydrogen can provide the lowest-cost decarbonisation solution for 22% of final energy used by 2050, roughly equivalent to the role electricity takes in today’s global energy mix.

Who We Are

We back technologies which aim to reduce the cost of hydrogen produced from renewable energy and provide hydrogen energy storage at a fraction of the cost of lithium-ion batteries.

What we do

Our most advanced system in development is a unique, highly efficient wind turbine, combined with a high-performance electrolyser, which aims to generate green hydrogen for under $2/kg.

Why we do it

Hydrogen is critical to combatting climate change. It is a clean-burning fuel and an efficient energy carrier with the potential to replace fossil fuels in hard-to-abate sectors. But the economics of green hydrogen remain challenging. Our business model is focused around reducing the cost of green hydrogen. $2/kg H2 relates to a cost of $0.06-$0.10/kWh.

Where we’ll do it

One commercialisation path is for modular independent hydrogen power systems for off-grid and remote energy supply for use in heavy industry and EV charging. On a larger scale our system could be used to establish offshore wind-to-hydrogen energy hubs.

Strategy

The cost of green hydrogen production currently sits between around $3.25-$8.75/kg and must be reduced to under $2/kg to meet global targets this decade. HFI’s strategy is to develop a wind-based system which achieves this utilising advanced aerodynamics and rotor blade design and a high-performance electrolyser using cheaper and more readily available materials.

The company aims to have built its first commercial scale 15 metre diameter system by late 2024.

HFI’s future end markets include:

• Hydrogen production and storage
• Offshore floating wind turbines – any country with coastline can be energy self-sufficient
• Small onshore wind markets
• Mining industry – HFI’s system can be used to extract hydrogen from wastewater on mine sites to power operations (company has agreement in principle to collaborate with a global mining major)

The group also has an agreement with a UK developer of hydrogen production and distribution facilities (a company which is 20% owned by HFI) for HFI’s system to be implemented as their preferred green hydrogen production technology.

HFI’s system: wind turbine

• Features advanced aerodynamics and rotor blade design
• Smaller, quieter, safer, more efficient alternative to existing open rotor wind turbines
• Proprietary rotor blade design with optimised cowling directs airflow across blades, creating multiple factor increase in wind speed
• Years of numerical modelling and wind tunnel development have indicated 3x increase in energy generation over existing open rotor wind turbines due to unique design spreading energy across rotor blades
• No gearbox or generator required: reduces weight and cost of nacelle; simplified installation and maintenance; standardised transportation

HFI’s system: high-performance electrolyser

• Electrolyser aims to improve power efficiency, longevity and cost; testing at up to 97% efficiency
• Developing an Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyser (AEMWE) without platinum group metal catalysts – cheaper and more readily available materials, features include:
  • 50% cheaper than Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)
  • Variable Cell technology that optimises the electrolyser to the available energy, works with renewable energy
  • 7-10 year membrane life
  • Zero Gap
  • Carbonised material electrodes
  • No wash-off of catalysts provides exceptional electrode life without output efficiency depletion over time as with PEM
• Concept testing led by quantum-physicist Dr Nicholas Blake in California
• Patent searches and application writing underway

Development progress

• Phase I and II testing with 1 metre diameter prototype completed in Montana, USA; Phase III testing of upgraded turbine to measure energy output and gather data is underway with initial data supportive of the system’s capacity to produce low-cost renewable energy and therefore affordable green hydrogen
• Concept testing of an electrolyser for the hydrogen production system is ongoing in California, USA

Intellectual property

• Acquisition of suite of patents in 2022 significantly enhances IP
• Patents were granted in respect of work undertaken by Tim Blake between 2015-2018, prior to him joining HFI covering a range of works including:
  • Ducted wind turbine rotor configuration
  • Dynamic telescopic tower to optimise wind farm energy production and reduce maintenance cost
  • 3D yaw control
  • Variable hydraulic drive and electro-magnetic clutch to increase efficiency and lower cost of energy production
  • Conversion of stored energy to green hydrogen
• Patents cover most major markets where HFI plans to develop the hydrogen energy systems
• Potential wider commercial applications for patents exist in renewable energy generation sector beyond HFI’s systems