Upskilling engineers to decarbonise the Australian Economy

Hub researcher and technology translator, Dr Matthew Priestley, has been working with Hub Industry Partner Hysata to help deliver their revolutionary high-efficiency green hydrogen technology and accelerate Australia's shift away from fossil fuels.

This partnership has enabled Dr Priestley to identify a critical gap in the green hydrogen production industry in Australia, which is that most local electrical engineers do not have the required technical expertise to work in hydrogen production jobs. The rapid growth of this industry means that hydrogen companies are forced to look overseas to countries with manufacturing-based economies, who have more technical expertise, to address this skills shortage.

“There’s a massive shortage of electrical engineers in Australia to decarbonise our economy, let alone in hydrogen.”

“We want electrical engineers in Australia who possess an interdisciplinary understanding of the chemical and mechanical engineering parts of how hydrogen production works in order to optimise the electrical systems,” Dr Priestley said.

Read more about the micro-credential pilot program that’s helping to fund development of the course in this piece in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hub Trailblazers join forces with Rio Tinto on cutting-edge sustainable hydrogen project

Hub Researchers are spearheading a cutting-edge project to recover clean hydrogen from organic waste streams in remote communities. Visionaries in this field, Jason Scott, Rahman Daiyan, and Professor Rose Amal from the Particles and Catalysis Research Group (PartCat), have developed pioneering prototypes that utilize sunlight to transform waste organics into valuable hydrogen fuel. Leveraging state-of-the-art electrocatalytic and photocatalytic systems, their innovative work is driving a paradigm shift in the global energy landscape. Collaborating with industry giant Rio Tinto through the Trailblazer Universities Program, this initiative aims to unlock a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly source of renewable energy.

Rio Tinto teams up with Hub Trailblazers to optimize Vanadium Flow Batteries for remote mine sites

We are thrilled to announce that Rio Tinto has enlisted the expertise of three exceptional Hub trailblazers to revolutionize the world of vanadium flow batteries! Please join us in celebrating the brilliant minds of Professors Maria Skyllas-Kazacos, Chris Menictas, and Jie Bao, as they take on a groundbreaking mission to optimize the design and operations of these batteries for application at remote mine sites. This strategic partnership marks a significant step towards a cleaner, greener future for the mining industry and beyond.