A Singaporean startup that has developed world-leading technology to capture leaked hydrogen has moved its global headquarters to Melbourne in a major win for Victorian jobs and manufacturing.
Minister for Economic Development Tim Pallas announced today that DiviGas has established its prime development, manufacturing and corporate hub in Port Melbourne, creating up to 19 new jobs.
Established in 2020, DiviGas produces a hollow fibre polymeric membrane that can capture, store and reuse leaked hydrogen in energy industries.
Billions of tonnes of hydrocarbons are released every year at energy plants, resulting in the loss of billions of tonnes of hydrogen and the emission of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The DiviGas membrane technology is a critical tool that can allow for the wasted gas to be reused and captured through hydrogen separation, avoiding the mass emission of carbon.
The Melbourne HQ will employ engineers to produce the membrane hydrogen separation technology and conduct research and development on future models of membrane to support the growing hydrogen sector.
DiviGas selected Melbourne for its headquarters based on the strength of Victoria’s advanced manufacturing sector and will look to partner with Victorian universities to develop new technologies in the hydrogen sector.
The coup demonstrates the effectiveness of the Government’s International Investment Strategy in attracting global companies from growth industries to create jobs and boost innovation.
Victoria’s existing and committed renewable energy projects are estimated to have attracted more than $14 billion in direct energy infrastructure, of which $10 billion is associated with large-scale dispatchable storage, solar and wind energy infrastructure.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Economic Development Tim Pallas
“We’re supporting innovators like DiviGas to come to Victoria because it creates jobs and new capabilities for our industry.”
“Victoria’s excellence in advanced manufacturing, renowned culture of innovation and thriving startup ecosystem make it a natural fit for go-ahead businesses from around the globe.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio
“We’ve set an ambitious target to reduce our emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 – and we’ll get there with creative thinking, decisive action and strong support for new energy technologies.”
Quote attributable to DiviGas CEO Andre Lorenceau
“With our move to Melbourne, not only did we find regulation to be clear, fair and effective, but we also found a wealth of experts that made developing this new unique processing facility significantly easier and safer to build.”
Reviewed 25 August 2022