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.

He is now working to address this skills shortage and shore up a future workforce for Australia by developing a course titled, "Hydrogen Production for Engineers," which will be offered at UNSW next year as a 10–13-week micro-credential.

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.

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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.