Sparc on track to build artificial photosynthesis plant to make hydrogen

Sparc Technologies (ASX:SPN) will soon be tapping minds from Fortescue’s former hydrogen division FFI, and the University of Adelaide, as it pushes ahead to stage two of a hydrogen pilot plant project in South Australia.

The project is seeking to produce green hydrogen without using an electrolyser – the machines that harness electricity to produce hydrogen gas from non-saline water (a process that uses large volumes of water).

It’s a goal that’s previously caught the attention of CSIRO in 2024.

Stage two of the play sees Sparc and its aforementioned JV partners oversee the construction and testing phase, as well as “ongoing reactor development.”

Sparc on Tuesday described the use of a “novel reactor technology [that] employs a photocatalyst material and sunlight to produce green hydrogen directly from water” – something called ‘photocatalytic water splitting’ (PWS).

In short, Sparc wants to artificially create a photosynthesis process. A paper published in the journal Fuel last June reviewed ‘recent advances’ in solar hydrogen production, a field which other authors describe as a field of interest for the last fifty years (but one where data collection has been poor).

It’s not entirely ‘solar-based’; a catalyst is required, for which some researchers have previously found titanium dioxide to be successful. A more tantalising material, Graphitic Carbon Nitride, can also be used.

At any rate, a front-end design (FEED) process for the JV’s plant will also be commencing early this year. A key piece of machinery called a ‘linear Fresnel’ is expected to be on-site by Q2; that Fresnel is crucial for the redirection of solar energy – think holding a magnifying glass to focus sunlight into a beam.

The involvement of JV partner Fortescue – which last year rolled Fortescue Future Industries back into FMG – suggests that miner’s chief Andrew Forrest remains quietly optimistic.

FMG R&D head Michael Dolan certainly hinted as much.

“Fortescue is proud to continue its support of Sparc Hydrogen and its innovative photocatalytic water splitting technology. This Australian innovation has the potential to make green hydrogen an even more competitive energy resource,” Dolan said.

“A significant amount of work has gone into this positive investment decision which is a reflection on the R&D team, strong IP position and high potential of the technology to unlock low-cost green hydrogen without relying on electrolysers, stretched electricity grids and related infrastructure,” Sparc MD Nick O’Loughlin added.

SPN last traded at 17.5cps.

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