Hazer Group has extended its non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Japanese trading giant Mitsui & Co, Ltd (Tokyo, Japan), pushing forward joint efforts to explore potential markets for Hazer’s low-emissions graphite. 

The agreement, which builds on the original MOU announced on 16 November 2022, will now continue for another year, with automatic renewals unless terminated by either party, as revealed in an ASX announcement. 

The partnership leverages Mitsui’s extensive global network to evaluate the applications of Hazer’s graphite in steel manufacturing, chemicals, and other sectors. 

Hazer has already conducted positive market analysis, identifying promising segments for its graphite, including iron and steel production, thermal energy storage, and water purification.

“We are excited to be extending our strategic partnership with Mitsui,” said Hazer’s CEO and Managing Director, Glenn Corrie. 

“Hazer’s technology is unique in that it produces both low-cost, clean hydrogen as well as a low-emissions graphite product.”

Initial investigations have pointed to a variety of applications for Hazer’s graphite:

• Steel Manufacturing: Hazer’s graphite demonstrates suitability for both traditional blast furnaces and emerging green-steel processes, owing to its structured composition and iron inclusion.
• Thermal Energy Storage: Its excellent thermal conductivity and stability make it an efficient medium for heat transfer.
• Water Purification: Hazer’s graphite has shown potential for enhanced PFAS removal, a growing environmental concern.
• Construction Materials: The graphite is also being evaluated for asphalt, bitumen, and concrete production.

According to Corrie, the collaboration with Mitsui helps Hazer access challenging markets and critical industries where decarbonisation solutions are in high demand. 

“In light of increased global awareness around the vulnerability of critical mineral supply chains, this is a clear value differentiator for Hazer’s technology in the methane pyrolysis space,” he added.

As part of the extended agreement, the two companies will move forward with further product evaluation and larger sample testing from Hazer’s Commercial Demonstration Plant (CDP). 

Both companies will also engage with potential buyers to establish volumes, pricing frameworks, and potential offtake agreements.

“Through this important partnership with Mitsui, we have jointly identified markets that offer a good fit for our graphite, and discussions are ongoing to establish volume, pricing ranges, and potential offtake opportunities,” Corrie explained.

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Hazer Group has achieved a key milestone at its Commercial Demonstration Plant (CDP), completing over 360 hours of continuous operation and demonstrating improvements in methane conversion.

The CDP performance test program is on track for completion by the end of 2024, the company said in an ASX announcement. 

Following plant optimisations, the company confirmed the achievement of 362 hours of continuous operation with periods of controlled catalyst injection, resulting in key technical advancements. 

The company said its technology has seen substantial progress, with methane-to-hydrogen conversion rates nearing design values.

Hazer CEO Glenn Corrie expressed optimism about the company’s technological strides, saying, “We continue to demonstrate Hazer’s technology is at the forefront of innovation with excellent test program performance which is supporting our commercialization strategy.”

Key highlights from the recent test campaign include stable reactor operations, improved feed gas flow rates, and the avoidance of reactor fouling. 

The technology’s resilience has been further reinforced by the production of Hazer graphite, which is set for advanced customer testing. 

The company said it believes these results will support the commercial scale-up of their methane pyrolysis technology.

“These strong operational milestones are a result of many years of technology development and scale-up success,” Corrie added. 

The use of a fluidised bed reactor (FBR), a proven technology in refining and metallurgical industries, has been pivotal in Hazer’s success.

The company has also underscored the importance of its extensive global patent coverage, with more than 70 patents protecting its methane pyrolysis process.

In the latest campaign, the CDP demonstrated over 97 per cent production uptime.

After over 800 hours of reactor operation, the plant is currently undergoing its statutory inspection, with positive results from material performance under process conditions.

Looking ahead, Hazer said it plans to focus on producing high-purity graphite in the final 2024 CDP campaign, with the aim of completing large-scale application tests. 

Concurrently, work is advancing on the next-generation reactor and heat exchange equipment, which will be key for scaling up hydrogen production to over 20ktpa.

“The CDP test program performance has been the enabler for many commercial discussions,” Corrie explained, highlighting ongoing partnerships with FortisBC, POSCO, ENGIE, and Chubu Electric. 

He emphasised the growing demand for large-scale applications, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors such as steel making and petrochemicals.

The company also reported significant progress with its first large-scale commercial facility in Canada, with partner FortisBC.

The project recently achieved a key milestone with the delivery of 105kg of graphite to FortisBC for use in their small-scale test unit, which will be installed later this year.

FortisBC’s test-rig has completed construction and will be installed on-site in Q4 for testing in early 2025 ahead of FID.

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Hazer Group announced a major achievement in the development of its Commercial Demonstration Plant, confirming that it has successfully operated continuously and stably for over 240 hours, marking a crucial milestone in its performance testing.

The ongoing “testing – modification – testing” work by our scientists, engineers and technicians has resulted in excellent performance and demonstration of high reliability for our first-of-a-kind technology,” said Hazer CEO Glenn Corrie. 

He added, “We have achieved another major milestone that enables the commercialisation of the Hazer process and supports our growth strategy globally.”

During the 240-hour operation, the CDP demonstrated several key objectives, including continuous production with the injection of catalyst into the reactor bed, stable and reliable solids separation from the product gas stream, and operational reliability with process uptime exceeding targets. 

The plant is now operating in a steady state mode, with continuous production of hydrogen and graphite, the company said in an ASX announcement. 

As the CDP moves forward, the current operations are being optimised to produce commercially representative graphite. 

The graphite produced will undergo quality verification to ensure consistency before distribution to major partners for large-scale testing and analysis.

Moreover, this milestone satisfies a key performance requirement under the ARENA funding agreement, unlocking the next tranche of funding in January 2025. 

This non-dilutive cash flow will support Hazer’s ongoing commercialisation strategy.

In addition to this, the CDP results are being used to advance four existing commercial projects with major partners including POSCO, ENGIE, Chubu Electric/Chiyoda Corporation, and FortisBC.

The data is also aiding the advancement of new customer projects and strategic partnership opportunities.

The next steps for the CDP include planned maintenance and inspections, during which the extensive steady state operation dataset will be analysed. 

This analysis will further inform Hazer’s strategy as they push towards declaring commercial readiness next year.

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Australian technology company Hazer Group announced the initiation of its Commercial Demonstration Plant (CDP) and the groundbreaking achievement of the first production of hydrogen and graphite.

The ASX-listed company introduced feed gas to the reactor at Hazer process conditions, resulting in the successful production of hydrogen and Hazer-manufactured graphite at the facility.

Hazer said it aims to ramp up operations throughout the first half of CY2024, executing a performance testing program.

This program is designed to provide comprehensive data demonstrating the plant’s commercial readiness.

The focus of the performance testing program will be on showcasing continuous operation at a commercial scale, setting the stage for integration into Hazer’s global commercial project portfolio.

Hazer’s CEO and MD Glenn Corrie expressed that achieving the successful start-up of the Commercial Demonstration Plant (CDP) and the production of cost-effective, low-emission hydrogen and graphitic carbon through their pioneering pyrolysis technology represents a significant milestone.

“As the team strive towards extended continuous operation of the plant in 2024 we are excited to build on this momentum for the next scale-up of the technology with our global partners in key markets, including North America,
Europe and Asia,” Corrie noted.

The CEO also emphasised that the CDP stands as the culmination of more than a decade of cutting-edge research, development, and engineering innovation.

He commended the Hazer team’s dedication, courage, and resilience in reaching this transformative milestone. Corrie extended appreciation to shareholders, partners, and key stakeholders who supported Hazer’s journey towards becoming a leading commercial clean-technology company.

“Our pipeline of opportunities is growing and with our CDP proving our technology can operate at commercial scale, I’m confident that 2024 will open-up further demand for our disruptive technology that can provide clean hydrogen to accelerate global decarbonisation,” Corrie stated.

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Australian clean energy company Pure Hydrogen has confirmed that Turquoise Group (TG) recently received essential equipment from its international development partner to propel the construction and development of a Commercial Demonstration Plant (CDP) dedicated to turquoise hydrogen production.

Situated in Brisbane, Queensland, the CDP is a collaborative effort between Turquoise Group and Plenesys, the designer of the innovative HyPlasma technology process.

This plasma-based technique transforms methane gas into turquoise hydrogen and solid carbon products, offering a highly energy-efficient, water-free, and emission-free approach.

Turquoise hydrogen is produced through controlled methane gas decomposition, enabling its conversion into hydrogen and valuable solid carbon products like graphene.

The international delivery of plasma-based methane pyrolysis equipment by Plenesys marks a crucial milestone in Turquoise Group’s plan to establish itself as a pioneer in turquoise hydrogen production.

With all necessary equipment secured, Turquoise Group is set to proceed with the construction and commissioning of the CDP, with an expected completion in Q1 2024.

Following the construction phase, a six-month intensive testing program will commence, focusing on optimising hydrogen production and advancing graphene production capabilities.

Pure Hydrogen’s strategic 40 per cent investment in Turquoise Group remains non-dilutive for 3.5 years.

The investment terms grant Pure Hydrogen exclusive rights to acquire hydrogen produced by Turquoise Group within Australia for a 20-year period at attractive market prices, linked to the value of solid carbon offtake products, including graphene.

Turquoise Group’s hydrogen production facility aligns with Pure Hydrogen’s strategy to establish a multi-channel offering of hydrogen vehicles and create an interconnected hydrogen ecosystem supplying net-zero hydrogen fuel sources at scale.

The company prioritises strategic partnerships with technology and expertise-driven entities like Turquoise Group and Plenesys, leveraging its strengths in sales and distribution to contribute to the advancement of commercially viable solutions.

Pure Hydrogen Managing Director Scott Brown expressed satisfaction with the latest milestone in the collaboration between Turquoise Group and Plenesys for the commercial demonstration plant in Brisbane.

Brown stated that the delivery of advanced pyrolysis technology from Plenesys was the result of an extensive period of engagement and planning to establish detailed specifications.

“With all equipment now successfully procured, the Turquoise Group can move towards construction and testing, with the view to proving the commercial viability of the emerging turquoise hydrogen technology,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Sam Taubert, Turquoise Group CEO and managing director, shared optimism following promising results from the prototype testing phase conducted by their technology partner.

Taubert conveyed confidence in proving hydrogen and graphene production after the completion of the construction and commissioning phases of the CDP in Q1 2024.

“Looking forward to 2024, subject to a successful testing phase, we anticipate numerous commercial opportunities that will reinforce the viability of this groundbreaking technology,” the CEO concluded.

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Australian chemicals commercial company Hazer Group is on track to begin Phase 2 of its Commercial Demonstration Plant (CDP) in 2023, marking a crucial milestone on the path to commercial hydrogen and graphitic carbon production.

In an ASX announcement, the company said the completion of the hot reactor follows machining and heat-treatment processes to meet precise specifications.

After passing all final quality checks, the reactor is now en route from the Callidus workshop in Perth to the CDP site for installation and hook-up, a process expected to conclude by mid-November.

This accomplishment signifies the conclusion of the CDP’s construction phase and the commencement of the commissioning and start-up period.

Hazer’s CDP, which remains on schedule for full-scale operations in 2023, aims to demonstrate the viability of the company’s innovative technology for commercial deployment.

Hazer’s Managing Director and CEO Glenn Corrie expressed his excitement about the impending commissioning phase.

“While the final stages of fabrication took a couple of weeks longer than we had anticipated, it was important to ensure the machining and heat treatment processes were performed to the highest standards to meet the specification required by the technology,” the Hazer official said.

Corrie further noted that the completion of the reactor marks a long-awaited milestone and expressed gratitude for the collective efforts involved, emphasising their focus on bringing the CDP online as initially planned.

The successful finalisation of the reactor marks a crucial step forward in Hazer’s technological progress and is an integral element of the CDP, intended to showcase the practicality of the company’s technology for commercial use.

The outcomes from the CDP’s performance testing strategy will be utilised to enhance Hazer’s worldwide commercial project portfolio.

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Minister for Resources Will Hodgman, who announced the investment on Friday, said the $6.6 million pilot project was supported by the Liberal Government with a $1.5 million grant and held the potential to lead to full-scale commercial production.

He said the plant will produce Cyrene – a non-toxic, cleaner alternative to fossil fuel-based solvents – and will use certified plantation wood, demonstrating the potential for value-added processing and the opportunities to grow the value of Tasmania’s forest industries.

“The world wants new, more environmentally-sensitive products to replace those that use fossil fuels, and bio-technology is the way of the future. Norske Skog and Circa Group will produce about 50 tonnes a year of the bio-solvent Cyrene for export to the European pharmaceutical and agrichemical markets,” Mr Hodgman said in a media statement.

“The investment is a vote of confidence in the Tasmanian economy, and will add to a long and proud history of forest-based processing at the Boyer Mill site. It also continues Norske Skog’s efforts to move with the market and to position the company to capture emerging opportunities.”

According to the minister, the Government’s commitment will be drawn from unspent Commonwealth funding provided to the State under the Tasmanian Forest Agreement.

“This is a particularly appropriate use of these funds as they will help to grow – rather than shutdown – our forest industries; creating jobs rather than ending them,” Mr Hodgman added.

“We are pleased to support this project, and commend all involved in their work to seek a new and exciting future direction for our forest industries.”

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