InterContinental Energy (ICE) has secured AU$1.6 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the first of three major milestones in developing its proprietary P2(H2)Node technology.
Apart from ARENA funding, the company also signed its first commercial licence and expanded its patent protection to more than 50 countries.
Under ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program, the funding will be used to develop a ‘Digital Twin Optimisation Framework’ for the P2(H2)Node technology.
ARENA’s support will help create a standardised Digital Twin and licensable engineering design that developers can use to plan large-scale green fuel hubs.
These tools can cut capital and operating costs by 10 to 20 per cent and shorten delivery timelines through digital simulation and standardisation that de-risks these green fuel projects.
“ARENA’s support acknowledges the potential of the P2(H2)Node architecture and its role in accelerating large-scale green fuels, such as renewable hydrogen,” said Richard D. Colwill, Head of Engineering and Innovation at ICE.
“We are advancing digital and engineering design work that gives developers and investors more certainty on cost, performance and timing, at a time when fuel security and AI power needs are front of mind.”
The P2(H2)Node is a patented modular system that integrates electrolysis plants directly with wind and solar farms. This behind-the-meter approach eliminates the need for expensive long-distance transmission, boosting efficiency for remote and coastal projects.
Beyond hydrogen, the architecture provides a blueprint for 100 per cent green-powered data centres, shipping e-fuels, and green steel production.
The signing of the first P2(H2)Node licence marks the transition of the technology from a high-level concept to a real-world deployment.
Meanwhile, the expansion of its patent footprint across 50 nations, including the US, Canada, and Namibia, safeguards the Western Australia-based company’s intellectual property as it seeks further global partnerships.
With ARENA’s backing and a maiden licence in hand, ICE is now set to provide the standardised model the industry needs to move from pilot projects to industrial-scale production.
