I’m an American who recently relocated to a regional beachside location in Australia, to lead engineering for an electrolyser company on the journey towards mass manufacturing.
Decision Maker Column Scott Abrahamson, Chief Engineering Officer at Hysata
I spent decades moving between high tech engineering in places like Silicon Valley and factories in Japan, China and Thailand. But Australia is a whole new experience and the clear comparative advantage for climate transition that this country holds is incredibly exciting to see.
Nowhere have I witnessed the same sense of purpose that we share in commercialising groundbreaking climate technology to accelerate the world’s transition to net zero.
It starts with world-leading potential to produce renewable energy from solar and wind. Australia has established infrastructure, strong trade partnerships, and talent to support new industries. Australian universities are at the cutting edge of new innovations. The capillary-fed electrolyser we are commercialising was born at the University of Wollongong many years ago.
Obvious challenges exist here. Labour costs are high and Western Pacific countries like China have extensive supply chains. However, by utilising the smart and innovative approach of Australian manufacturers, success is achievable. The high differentiation and efficiency of Hysata’s technology, combined with its low capex and a mass manufacturable design, are key to our strategy. A startup company has the rare benefit of its opportunity to integrate design and manufacturing from the outset and deliver the production efficiency and quality needed for international competitiveness.
Worldwide, things are heating up and Australian climate tech companies face fierce competition from the US, China and Europe. It’s great that the Federal Government recognises that Australia’s comparative advantage needs to be quickly converted. The Future Made in Australia policy is an important step in the right direction – renewable hydrogen and clean energy manufacturing are declared in the national interest.
For success, we need to keep moving in this positive direction, utilising the intersection of technological advancement, government support, skilled labour and efficient manufacturing techniques, which are key to keeping us all in the race.
And these core foundations for design and manufacturing remain key for all high-tech manufacturers.
Integrated design and manufacturing
Simplicity in manufacturing design and process are a recipe for success. In product design, this means easily fabricated components that can be assembled without heavy reliance on complex assembly processes. At Hysata, we draw from simple high-volume approaches, such as those I learned while developing and manufacturing products such as disk drives and phones, which are produced in the millions of units per day, at high yields.
With the huge, expected future demand for electrolysers, simple, widely available supply is also critical. Our product is designed to not rely on rare materials commonly used in incumbent technologies. Instead, we use earth-abundant materials.
Automation is important for quality and repeatability. Selecting and training the right skilled workforce to operate and maintain these manufacturing systems is key to success.
Positive team culture
Innovation thrives in supportive work environments. Nothing is more motivating to a climate tech startup than our common, shared vision filled with purpose. And creativity is fostered by our collaborative spirit. Positive cultures celebrate inclusivity, diversity and provide career progression – and they provide employee engagement, satisfaction, collaboration and team problem-solving. It also doesn’t hurt if you can head to the beach across the road for a surf on your lunch break. In our case, this is a guaranteed morale booster.
Reliability and testing
High reliability is important for customer satisfaction and market viability. It is tied to design, manufacturing, and material selection. And it is discovered by testing. For high product quality, testing the output of each manufacturing step is key. Product reliability requires rigorous testing, including accelerated life and margin testing, to identify and correct issues during development, before they become problems for our customers.
Analysis of data collected throughout manufacturing and field operation enables better quality control and predictive maintenance, leading to enhanced efficiency and field reliability.
Australia’s for the taking
Looking ahead to 2030 and 2050, we will have either achieved or missed the mark. Technologies will evolve, and there will be new breakthroughs in response to challenges that we encounter. We will develop new skills, and manufacturing will continue to evolve with technology. Through it all, the building blocks of culture, simplicity and striving for reliability will remain foundational.
We hope today’s progress will lead to a legacy for us all to be proud of when the world looks back at the transition to net zero.
