Australian clean tech Endua fixes renewable energy’s intermittent problem

One of many largest issues with renewable vitality sources like wind, photo voltaic and water is outage. Which means that they can’t be relied upon continually, for instance, because the solar could cease shining or it might be a relaxed, windless day. To fill the gaps, customers usually depend on diesel turbines or batteries. However diesel turbines produce emissions and batteries solely final a short while. Clear tech startup Endua He says he has discovered the answer with modular hydrogen manufacturing and storage know-how.

The Australian startup introduced right this moment that it has raised AUD 11.8 million (roughly USD 7.8 million). Contributors within the spherical included new buyers, Queensland Funding Company (QIC), Soften Ventures and 77 Companions, all incomes AUD 7.5 million. The remainder of the funding got here from returning strategic buyers Predominant Sequence (a deep tech fund arrange by authorities science physique CSIRO) and Ampol, Australia’s largest transport vitality supplier.

Launched in 2021 by CEO and founder Paul Sernia, Endua makes use of self-contained, modular hydrogen energy banks that he says can drive energy a great deal of as much as 100kW per module. This is sufficient to energy water pumps, farm sheds or standalone telecom infrastructure. The quantity of electrical energy used is scalable as a result of extra renewable vitality is saved as hydrogen and transformed into electrical energy by gas cells as wanted.

Sernia advised TechCrunch that storing extra renewable vitality as hydrogen overcomes intermittent challenges as a result of customers can use their saved vitality after they want it or when renewable vitality manufacturing is inadequate. Endua serves a variety of shoppers, together with regional communities, farming and agriculture, telecom infrastructure, vitality distributors and distant infrastructure.

Utilizing renewable vitality sources equivalent to photo voltaic or wind energy, Endua has designed and manufactured electrolyzers that cut up water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis. The hydrogen produced is then saved in modular banks, that are high-pressure storage tanks that may protect the integrity of the hydrogen for months. When Endua’s prospects are able to convert their saved hydrogen into electrical energy, their energy banks use electrochemical applied sciences, largely by way of carbon-free hydrogen gas cells.

Paul Sernia, founder and CEO of Endua

Sernia stated Endua’s energy banks are designed to combine with current vitality programs, together with renewable vitality sources equivalent to photo voltaic panels and wind generators, to seize extra vitality. This helps make sure that prospects have a relentless provide of energy.

Endua will use its new capital to scale and recruit its pilot programs over the following 18 months. Along with its funding, Endua has obtained a complete of $4.3 million, together with the Entrepreneurs Program Speed up Commercialization Grant, Cooperative Analysis Facilities Venture and Superior Manufacturing Development Heart Grant. All of its merchandise are made in Australia and are at the moment establishing manufacturing amenities in Queensland.

Commenting on the funding, Matthew Hallliday, chief government of Ampol, stated: “Endua’s know-how lays the inspiration for off-grid and diesel vitality customers to satisfy their decarbonization commitments and to be self-sustaining. We stay up for working with prospects because the know-how scales to additional discover functions in our economic system.”