INDUSTRY NEWS
RUX Energy is Accelerating Australia’s Hydrogen-Powered Future Source: ATA Scientific Pty Ltd Rux Energy CEO and Founder Dr Jehan Kanga is leading the change in implementing hydrogen technologies for hydrogen storage, collaborating with industry experts from around the world to align Australia to global decarbonisation plans, participating in the strategic discussion and to develop appropriate Australian and ISO standards for industry. As Dr Kanga explained “ensuring zero emission hydrogen safety in every jurisdiction across the world is critical to increasing the velocity of the energy transition, as it forms the foundation of hydrogen’s social licence to operate”.
While there is significant interest in electric vehicles and batteries to decarbonise road transport in Australia, the benefits offered by hydrogen-powered vehicles are less well known. They are quicker to refuel, have a greater range between refuelling stops and can maximise their payload because they don’t need to carry large, heavy batteries required by electric vehicles. Other no-regrets applications of hydrogen include industrial heat, marine, aviation and energy export.
“We are equally passionate about a successful and just transition to sustainable energy, and our company is founded on the values of inclusivity, diversity, and collaboration. We're not just pioneering a technology; we're redefining the very fabric of energy distribution” said Nicolle Lane, Rux Ecosystems & Communications Manager.
Rux Energy is uniquely placed within the key hydrogen first adopter market in New South Wales Australia, with a supportive advanced manufacturing, research, and government support ecosystem. The company is working in close collaboration with major industry and research organisations across Australia. Dr Kanga shared “We're grateful for the support of the University of Sydney, in particular the School of Chemistry and Professor Cameron J Kepert, for championing our work and taking a leap of faith with us. We’d also like to acknowledge our early funders - IMCRC Activate, AusIndustry, and NSW Government Department of Climate & Energy Action”.
Micromeritics is Key for Hydrogen Adsorption Capacity
Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO and GHD Advisory recently released a new report calling for Australia to urgently decarbonise our transport sector which currently accounts for 18.6% of our greenhouse gas emissions. The report urged building more hydrogenpowered transport capability – alongside electric vehicles – or risk being left behind our international counterparts. CSIRO’s chief scientist, Prof Bronwyn Fox, said “While we know hydrogen will play a critical role, we also know that much of the key infrastructure for storing, moving and distributing hydrogen for use as a transport fuel – including pipelines, storage tanks and refuelling stations - is yet to be built”. The report highlighted the importance of growing industry partnerships and for targeted research and innovation, from hydrogen production through to storage, to help overcome the slow adoption velocity and solve some of the key challenges of costs and inefficiencies with decarbonising the heavy transport sector.
What’s important to Rux Energy? Rux Energy is an advanced materials company delivering breakthrough improvements in hydrogen storage and distribution, focused on decarbonising the hardest to abate sectors of heavy industry, freight, marine, trucking and aerospace with our highly hydrogen selective MOFs (Metal Organic Frameworks). Rux aims is to be directly responsible for 50 million tonnes of CO2 abatement, each year, every year, by 2030. 26 | SEPTEMBER 2023
BACK TO CONTENTS
Rux Energy senior scientist Dr David Dharma recalls his first encounter with the Micromeritics line of gas sorption analyser was back in 2021, through a 3Flex instrument. Owned and run by the Kepert and D'Alessandro research groups at the University of Sydney, School of Chemistry, this instrument has been a workhorse of both groups for over 7 years. The requirement for a rapid tenfold increase in sample run size, following commercialisation, lead to the need for a higher resolution, high throughput surface area and porosity analyser. The Micromeritics ASAP system provides the ability to conduct quick high throughput gas sorption analysis, with the capacity to degas 12 samples and run 6 samples at once on the one instrument which is incredibly appealing. WWW.MATERIALSAUSTRALIA.COM.AU
