Hazer Group has finalised commercial negotiations with the University of Sydney regarding collaboration on its low cost graphite and hydrogen production technology.
The company said in a statement the collaboration will enable it to undertake the scale up and process development work required for the Hazer Process significantly faster than previously anticipated.
The development work will be done in collaboration with the University’s Laboratory of Sustainable Technologies (LST). The LST has particular expertise in graphite and nano‐materials technology as well as chemical engineering scale up expertise and experience in the “hydrogen economy”. The relationship will give Hazer access to LST’s facilities which are ideally set up t undertake the development work Hazer requires.
Whilst the agreement is still subject to formal documentation being completed, the negotiations cover all core commercial aspects of the relationship and contain interim provisions to enable Hazer to have immediate access to the facilities for planning and preparatory activities. Completion and execution of formal documentation is expected to require less than 6 weeks.
Hazer will continue to actively manage and direct all activities undertaken with Sydney University, and the Company’s Chief Technical Officer, Dr Andrew Cornejo, will relocate to Sydney. Hazer will provide the operating funds for the development work which will see the University provide two full time researchers to work with the Company.
Hazer will own all Intellectual Property developed through the Sydney University collaboration and so will continue to own all the intellectual Property associated with the Hazer Process royalty and encumbrance‐free.
The key activities being undertaken in collaboration with the LST are the ongoing scale up of the Hazer process to operate at kgs per day of product, representing an increase of up to 100 times the operating level undertaken to date. In addition, the collaboration will see further characterisation and analysis of the graphite produced by the Hazer Process under different conditions to ensure it is best able to meet end user demands in key graphite markets.
“The establishment of this collaboration framework with Sydney University will significantly enhance the commercial development of the Hazer Process” said Hazer Managing Director Geoff Pocock. “Sydney University’s LST facilities are world class and ideal for the Company’s development needs.”