HydGene Renewables

About

HydGene Renewables is a Macquarie University synthetic-biology spinout developing a cartridge-based engineered microbe platform that converts sugars from agricultural and forestry residues into on-site hydrogen and ammonia-based fertiliser.

Mission

HydGene Renewables is a Macquarie University synthetic-biology spinout developing a bioengineered biocatalyst platform that converts sugars from renewable biomass into hydrogen. Its engineered microbe sits in a stable cartridge, consumes sugars from straw, woodchips, paper, pulp and other residues, and produces hydrogen for months at a time. The company raised $6 million in a financing led by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s Clean Energy Innovation Fund (which contributed $2 million) and UK investor Agronomics, and has also secured a $2.8 million ARENA R&D grant and support from Macquarie. HydGene plans to use the funds to build a pilot plant, expand its team, and continue research to improve yields and drive down costs. The technology is aimed at decentralised, rural applications where agricultural and forestry residues are abundant, addressing hydrogen transport and storage challenges by making hydrogen where it is needed. The team, led by cofounder and CEO Dr Louise Brown with cofounders Professor Robert Willows, Dr Kerstin Petroll and Dr Ante Jerkovic, is also working on strains to produce other green molecules such as an ammonia-based fertiliser.

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