November 2, 2025. GTI Energy announced the next phase of its long-standing role supporting collaborative hydrogen innovation at The University of Texas at Austin. Building on its leadership in the H2@Scale in Texas and Beyond project, GTI Energy will provide safety review and on-site systems integration support for SunHydrogen Inc.’s hydrogen production pilot system at the Hydrogen ProtoHub.
GTI Energy and The University of Texas at Austin – Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) co-manage the Hydrogen ProtoHub, located at UT Austin’s J. J. Pickle Research Campus. The ProtoHub is a first-of-its-kind hands-on demonstration and training site where emerging technologies, ranging from hydrogen to renewable natural gas (RNG), are tested, validated, and showcased under live conditions. It expands on the success of H2@Scale, which built and demonstrated the technical feasibility of an integrated hydrogen ecosystem.
More than a single pilot installation, the ProtoHub is designed as a multi-purpose platform:
- Technology Demonstration: A host site where innovators can install, integrate, and operate advanced energy technologies, from electrolyzers and fuel cells to hydrogen blending systems and RNG applications.
- Workforce Training: A unique facility for training operators, engineers, and codes and standards officials, giving professionals direct, hands-on experience with properly designed and installed systems. It helps set industry expectations for safe and effective deployments.
- Data Center and System Modeling: A living laboratory for collecting operational data from component-level demonstrations. These learnings are being used to model larger, commercial-scale systems, such as future data center power control and supply solutions, ensuring the transition from pilot to practice is grounded in evidence.
With advanced infrastructure, strict safety systems, and experienced technical staff, the ProtoHub serves as a launchpad for projects that can shape the future hydrogen economy.
SunHydrogen’s pilot system will feature sixteen solar-to-hydrogen production reactors, each 1.92 m2, configured in a scalable modular array totaling more than 30 m2 of active area. The demonstration marks the company’s first multi-panel system deployed in an outdoor environment, operating solely on sunlight and water. Over a six-month period, the project will validate performance, durability, and scalability, while generating data critical for commercialization. A successful demonstration will confirm real-world viability, paving the way for larger deployments and commercial partnerships.