Waste-to-hydrogen startup awarded $50,000 MVP grant

EM Energy, a startup commercialising a method of making green hydrogen from organic waste, has been awarded a $50,000 MVP grant from the NSW government.

The company’s Organic Hydrogen Electrolyser Cell (OHEC) creates green hydrogen from organic materials, without needing energy and heat, according to a statement on Monday from NSW innovation minister Anoulack Chanthivong. 

Company co-founder Chris Wilson said the device was distinctly different from using electrolysis for green hydrogen production, which requires “enough energy to power two average homes a day” to create a kilogram of the gas.

“The OHEC device can also be deployed directly onsite, removing the need to transport hydrogen which is an expensive and difficult exercise in its own right,” added Wilson.

According to EM Energy’s website, OHEC is the invention of environmental/chemical engineer Isabel Toasa, the company’s co-founder and Head of Research, and “uses organic activation that produces self-energy and supports electrolysis by releasing free hydrogen radicals from the organic matter.”

The invention is currently being tested and validated at the University of Newcastle, with the grant to support patenting the technology internationally.

“EM Energy is pushing the boundaries when it comes to innovation and we’re delighted to support the development of its green hydrogen production technology, which has the potential to be a game-changer for sustainable energy generation globally,” said Chanthivong.

The MVP Ventures program offers grants of between $25,000 and $50,000 to companies that exist somewhere between “early-stage research and mature investment opportunities”.

Picture: credit EM Energy

Further reading

NSW MVP grant applications open