1414 Degrees Ltd is proud to announce that it has been granted $2.5m by the Australian Government to advance its SiPHyR technology for affordable net-zero hydrogen production. This funding is part of a $5.2m project, conducted in partnership with the University of Adelaide (UoA), Woodside Energy Technologies, Vulcan Steel, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, to develop a methane pyrolysis reactor for cost-effective turquoise hydrogen production.

This significant grant builds on the Company’s recent announcement (8 January 2024) that it has secured an exclusive licence from the UoA to commercialise its dual-column fluid reactor technology.

SiPHyR (SiBrick integrated Pyrolytic Hydrogen Reactor) combines methane pyrolysis – a high-temperature process that transforms methane into hydrogen gas and solid carbon, with 14D’s proprietary silicon energy storage technologies SiBrick and SiBox. SiPHyR stands out in the hydrogen production landscape by circumventing the carbon dioxide emissions associated with grey hydrogen production, eliminating the technical and cost challenges of carbon dioxide gas capture as encountered in blue hydrogen methods, while requiring much less electricity generation and transmission infrastructure than green hydrogen. 

Net-zero hydrogen is needed at a cost below US$2/kg if it is to become cost-competitive in heavy industries such as fertilizers, iron/steel and alumina production. This scalable technology could enable continuous production of net-zero hydrogen at an estimated cost of around US$1/kg, markedly lower than current methods. It will also produce a solid carbon product that can be used in many industries, including steel and plastic production.

The Project aims to advance SiPHyR from its current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 2 to TRL 5 within three years. A critical deliverable of this Project is a detailed plan for a scaled demonstration at TRL 7 within two years of this project’s completion, ensuring the technology’s readiness for commercialisation.

1414 Degrees is committed to the transition to a clean hydrogen economy and is set to commercialise SiPHyR by 2030.