Innovative Geelong engineering organisation and GMC member, Austeng, has developed an Australian first hydrogen burner prototype suitable for high heat industrial applications.
Minister for Energy & Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, visited Austeng last week to flick the switch on the prototype which Austeng MD Ross George described as “an important enabling technology” in Australia’s transition to renewable energy.
Through the Victorian Governments Renewable Hydrogen Business Ready Fund (BRF), Austeng received $100k in early stage funding to undertake a feasibility study and develop its hydrogen burner prototype. Renewable hydrogen offers a clean energy alternative for an otherwise difficult to decarbonise process.
The prototype developed by Austeng is a cremation furnace, traditionally a high heat, high natural gas usage device. The project provides a concrete demonstration of how a cremation furnace can be powered by a blend of hydrogen and gas to facilitate a transition to using clean, renewable hydrogen.
Austeng MD Ross George commented, “What you see today is an important enabling technology. This demonstration shows the crematoria sector, and mainstream industry more generally, that green hydrogen can be easily, safely and quickly integrated into our respective operations with no business risk. It will also facilitate the demand for green hydrogen and is pivotal in assisting with creating supply chains for this renewable fuel.”
“We’re very proud that that this project gained Energy Safe Victoria final acceptance for the new technology which to the best of our knowledge is the first of its kind in Australia, possibly the world!”
Lessons from the project will be applicable to decarbonising other gas-fired industrial processes, with Minister D’Ambrosio saying, “Projects like this one in North Geelong are crucial for our decarbonisation – they demonstrate real-world uses for renewable hydrogen in industries where electrification is not possible.”
Over 60 people were in attendance at the demonstration to see the Minister “flick the switch” on the blending station.
