SunHydrogen partners with UT Austin to launch a 30m² PEC hydrogen pilot system for real-world validation and commercialization efforts.
SunHydrogen, Inc., a leading innovator in renewable hydrogen technology, has announced a significant step forward in the development of its proprietary photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production system. The company has entered into a strategic partnership with The University of Texas at Austin – Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) to install, commission, and operate a large-scale hydrogen generation pilot system at UT-CEM’s Hydrogen ProtoHub. This pilot project marks SunHydrogen’s first demonstration of its technology in a real-world environment and involves a system that spans over 30 square meters.
The pilot installation will consist of sixteen PEC reactor units, each with an active area of 1.92?m², totaling more than 30?m². These units are modular and scalable, and the same reactor design will also be featured at the upcoming Hydrogen Technology Expo in Houston. The plant will be entirely powered by sunlight and water, aligning with the company’s mission to enable clean and decentralized hydrogen production.
To support this initiative, SunHydrogen has contracted The Process Group (TPG Engineers) for the front-end engineering design of the pilot system. This project is designed to validate system performance in operational conditions and will yield critical data for the advancement and commercialization of the technology.
Tim Young, CEO of SunHydrogen, highlighted the importance of the collaboration, stating, “This deployment is a transformative step in validating our PEC technology in real-world settings. Partnering with UT-CEM allows us to test, refine, and accelerate our journey toward commercial, decentralized hydrogen production.”
The Hydrogen ProtoHub, located on the J.J. Pickle Research Campus at UT Austin, offers a state-of-the-art environment tailored for hydrogen research and development. The facility provides advanced infrastructure, stringent safety protocols, and experienced personnel. SunHydrogen will work closely with the UT-CEM team to manage the assembly, installation, and six-month operational testing of the PEC system, while also focusing on long-term data acquisition.
This partnership also aims to contribute to the broader landscape of hydrogen innovation by supporting academic research, industry collaboration, and workforce training in sustainable energy technologies. Michael Lewis, Director of UT-CEM, remarked, “We’re proud to host SunHydrogen’s pilot at our facility. This initiative is in line with our mission to support sustainable energy solutions through innovation, research, and education.”
Dr. Syed Mubeen, SunHydrogen’s CTO, emphasized that the pilot system marks a key transition from laboratory validation to full-scale field testing. The data obtained will inform commercial system design and deployment strategies.
SunHydrogen is pioneering advanced technologies to generate renewable hydrogen, targeting a market that Goldman Sachs projects could exceed $1 trillion annually by 2050. The company’s patented SunHydrogen Panel, now under development, is designed to utilize sunlight and various water sources to produce low-cost renewable hydrogen. Similar to how solar panels generate electricity, SunHydrogen’s panels will produce clean hydrogen fuel directly from sunlight and water.
