Hydrogen project wins highest Curtinnovation award

A cost-effective method of extracting green hydrogen from untreated water has won the highest prize at this year’s Curtinnovation Awards, named the Griffith Hack Overall Winner.

The water electrolysis method was developed by Curtin University Professor Zonping Shao and PhD candidate Jiayi Tang.

The two existing methods for extracting hydrogen from water have their limitations: one requires ultrapure water and an expensive catalyst while the other requires significantly higher energy inputs for the same level of hydrogen production.

The researchers created a water electrolysis method that works on unpurified water sources, including sea water. It uses an alternative catalyst that is cheaper than existing methods and could produce green hydrogen at 60% of the current cost. This development could be a cost-effective, plentiful source of hydrogen that contributes to the achievement of global zero carbon goals.

Professor Melinda Fitzgerald, Curtin Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, congratulated the award winners.

“This year’s field of finalists was incredibly impressive, and I want to congratulate all of them for their outstanding work in trying to solve some of the world’s most difficult challenges,” Fitzgerald said.

The green hydrogen project was one of 10 products and services named winners at the Curtinnovation Awards 2023, including a deployable sensor system capable of flying under the radar to track aircraft and satellites, a theory-based chatbot designed to support mental health in young people, an AI-driven model to predict the quality of a pineapple that doesn’t damage the fruit and a leading national education platform that is improving access to school content.

The annual awards recognise the university’s commitment to transforming research into new products and services that benefit the community, across Curtin’s Faculties of Science and Engineering, Health Sciences, Business and Law and Humanities. Prizes are awarded for the top submissions from a Curtin Entrepreneurs program graduate, the Learning and Teaching department, International or Student team and the Trailblazer prize for the submission that can benefit the critical minerals and resources industry.

The winners from the 2023 Curtinnovation Awards include:

• Griffith Hack Overall Winner - Green Hydrogen: An electrolyser to produce green hydrogen from untreated water.
• Business & Law Award - Curtin ANI Research: An automated self-service market research solution for SMES.
• Curtin Entrepreneurs Award - Tempo: A two-sided marketplace for health providers and health professionals.
• Health Sciences Award - MYLO: A novel mental health chatbot.
• Humanities Award - Marri Gum Dye: a natural dye extract from the Western Australian Marri gum.
• International Award - Pine-sense: A new AI-driven model to predict pineapple quality based on skin colours.
• Learning & Teaching Award - Elucidate Education: A not-for-profit education platform.
• Science & Engineering Award - Space Domain Awareness: A deployable sensor system.
• Student Award - MacroMop: Enhanced immune cells to remove diseased tissue.
• Trailblazer Award - Hydrobe: a scalable carbon capture process.