John Andrews
RMIT University
Professor John Andrews has been awarded a 12-month Study Melbourne Research Partnerships program grant for his project titled…
Developing the proton battery and proton flow reactor systems for energy storage
International Partner: International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research, Kyushu University, Japan
RMIT’s Sustainable Hydrogen Energy Laboratory is one of Australia’s premier hydrogen-energy research groups. The Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER) at Kyushu University in Japan has an international reputation for fundamental and applied energy research with state-of-the-art electrochemical and material science facilities.
New proton energy storage technology to revolutionise energy market
- A proton battery system to reduce costs and increase convenience for small-scale applications such as household solar
- A proton flow reactor system to facilitate integration of intermittent renewable energy sources into the national grid
- These products will help maintain reliable and low-cost electricity to consumers, while reducing emissions
Learn more about the other researchers who have also been awarded a Study Melbourne Research Partnerships program grant in 2021.
A collaboration between RMIT University’s Sustainable Hydrogen Energy Laboratory (SHEL) and Kyushu University will develop revolutionary proton energy storage technology that will shift the renewable energy market.
Two products will result from the project, a proton battery system for small-scale applications, such as household solar, and a proton flow reactor system for grid-scale electrical energy storage and bulk export of a hydrogenated carbon fuel. These are novel means of storing atomic hydrogen in porous carbon materials that have high commercial value, major economic benefits and greenhouse emission reduction potential.
I2CNER focuses on the science underlying energy technologies that hold promise for dramatic reductions in carbon emissions in the next 20 to 40 years. RMIT University ’s SHEL is a group of multidisciplinary top experts, which pioneers research and development on hydrogen energy solutions in Australia and internationally. This partnership offers a direct path to establish further collaborations on these innovative zero-emission hydrogen energy technologies.
This project will help pave the way towards commercialising and deploying proton battery and proton flow reactor technologies and create new sustainable employment opportunities for Victorian and Japanese companies.
End-users in households and commercial organisations may benefit by the deployment of cost-effective and convenient proton batteries. Proton flow reactor systems will facilitate integration of intermittent renewable energy sources into the national grid. Such integration will contribute to maintaining reliable and low-cost electricity to consumers, while achieving zero net greenhouse gas emissions in Australia by 2050.