Hydrogen Powder? How Australia's New Initiative Could Unlock the Global Clean Energy Boom

Australia may have just solved one of the biggest challenges in the global hydrogen economy—how to store and ship hydrogen safely and affordably. Thanks to a breakthrough by Curtin University and Velox Energy Materials, hydrogen can now be turned into a powder using sodium borohydride (NaBH₄), making it far easier to handle than traditional gas or liquid forms.

This isn’t just a cool science experiment. It could change everything. Hydrogen has long been touted as the clean energy fuel of the future, especially for hard-to-decarbonize industries like shipping, aviation, and steelmaking. But here’s the catch: hydrogen gas is highly flammable and difficult to transport, and keeping it in liquid form requires cooling it to -250°C, which burns a ton of energy.

That’s where this powder comes in. It can hold hydrogen safely and stably, and it doesn’t need special tanks or extreme cold to transport. You can ship it on a regular container vessel—no drama. And when you're ready to use the hydrogen, you just heat the powder to release it.

Even better, the scientists figured out how to reuse the powder. Normally, after the hydrogen is extracted, you’re left with a waste product called sodium borate. Until now, that was a big problem. But the team developed a way to re-infuse it with hydrogen, creating a circular, sustainable cycle.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) was impressed enough to fund the project with $5 million AUD. A pilot facility is now in the works in Perth, aiming to produce 330,000 tons of hydrogen powder a year by 2030—and 550,000 tons by 2040. That’s a massive amount of clean fuel ready to be exported anywhere in the world.

Because this powder could finally make hydrogen a practical global fuel. It lowers costs, boosts safety, and opens the door for countries that don’t have the resources to produce hydrogen themselves. For Australia, it’s a shot at becoming a green energy superpower. This isn’t just another lab discovery—it’s a real-world solution with the potential to accelerate clean energy adoption everywhere.

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