The pioneering technology unlocking natural hydrogen, is now turning the resource into a lucrative reality

Carbon280, the Perth-based materials-engineering company developing next-generation hydrogen separation, storage and transport solutions, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with natural hydrogen explorer H2EX

The agreement follows Carbon280’s successful presentation of its Hydrilyte® technology at the Australian Natural Hydrogen Conference, where the company showcased results from mixed-gas testing, using a blend representative of natural hydrogen. The tests confirmed Hydrilyte’s® ability to separate hydrogen from helium and other gases, while safely storing the hydrogen ready for transport, all in a single, integrated step.

Hydrilyte® is a proprietary, low-cost system that suspends a metal-hydride powder in mineral oil, enabling hydrogen to be captured, stored and transported at ambient temperature as a stable bulk solid. By combining separation and storage in one process, Hydrilyte® directly addresses the biggest challenge facing the emerging natural hydrogen industry, how to move hydrogen safely, cheaply and efficiently from wellhead to end user.

Momentum in natural hydrogen is building rapidly, with global drilling campaigns expanding through 2026, and the US Geological Survey forecasts there are vast global volumes of untapped natural hydrogen resources. As exploration moves toward production, the need for low-carbon, scalable infrastructure becomes critical.

“One of the biggest bottlenecks for natural hydrogen is how to separate, transport and store it safely,” said Mark Hanna, Founder and CEO of H2EX. “As H2EX progresses from exploration to production, we need a solution that can efficiently separate hydrogen from other gases and deliver it to customers. That’s why Hydrilyte® is so important. It brings separation and logistics together in a single, elegant step.”

“Natural hydrogen developers are targeting production costs of US$1–2/kg,” said Mark Rheinlander, Founder and CEO of Carbon280. “Our goal is to keep separation, storage and release under US$1/kg at scale. When you combine natural hydrogen’s cost advantage with Hydrilyte’s® simplicity and safety, you have a pathway to hydrogen that is globally competitive, low-carbon and ready for real-world industrial use.”

Next Phase: Continuous operation and investor opportunity

Carbon280 has now completed and commissioned its pilot plant, alongside its dedicated Kwinana laboratory where helium–hydrogen separation has been successfully demonstrated. Together, these facilities mark a major de-risking milestone and confirm the readiness of Hydrilyte® for scale-up.

The company is now moving into its next phase, and is converting the pilot system to continuous operation, a critical step toward commercial deployment and large-scale natural hydrogen processing.

To accelerate this progression, Carbon280 has launched a seed funding round, targeted to close in February 2026. The investment will support optimisation of the continuous-flow process, expanded mixed-gas separation tests, and preparation for early pre-commercial field trials.

Carbon280 is building a low-carbon, safe and economically compelling pathway to natural hydrogen, unlocking its potential as a globally competitive energy and industrial feedstock.

For more information, visit www.carbon280.com

About Carbon280

Carbon280 is a Perth-based materials science & engineering company, commercialising a multi-patented hydrogen storage technology called Hydrilyte®. The company raised $10.6m of seed funding, which was led by Woodside Energy and supported by UK renewables company Hive Energy. The seed funding has been used to develop a TRL6 technology demonstrator and laboratory at their research facility in Kwinana. The name Carbon280 references the level of CO2 pre-industrialisation, which was 280ppm. Today it is 424ppm and climbing. Our name is our Why.

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