Hunter Node of the New South Wales Decarbonisation Innovation Hub

May 30th, 2022

R&D Focus Areas:
Electricity, Heat storage, Industrial feedstock processes

Lead Organisation:
University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Newcastle

Partners:
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, University of Technology Sydney, University of Western Sydney, University of Wollongong, Charles Sturt University, Macquarie University, University of Sydney, Climate-KIC Australia

Status:
Active

Start date:
May 2022

Completion date:
February 2030

Key contacts:
Hunter Node Leader: Laureate Professor Behdad Moghtaderi: behdad.moghtaderi@newcastle.edu.au

Hub Co-Leaders: Professor Deo Prasad (UNSW – d.prasad@unsw.edu.au) and Professor Alan Broadfoot (University of Newcastle – alan.broadfoot@newcastle.edu.au)

Funding:
New South Wales Decarbonisation Hub (~AUD$30 million initiative co-funded by the NSW Government and partner organisations)

Project total cost:
AUD$3,000,000 (cash) for the Hunter Node of the New South Wales Decarbonisation Hub

Project summary description:
The energy-transport-decarbonisation-climate nexus is well established and the pathway to deep decarbonisation includes, amongst other things:

  • Energy efficiency and productivity and choices in the built environment.
  • Decarbonising the grid with renewables and storage.
  • Electrification of end uses that can be electrified, including transport options.
  • Using “green” fuels: e.g. hydrogen–and chemicals.
  • Sequestering remaining emissions through land-based carbon abatement and smart, technology-driven agriculture.

The New South Wales (NSW) Decarbonisation Innovation Hub will co-ordinate existing decarbonisation activity into a managed innovation ecosystem using a unique portfolio management approach. This approach helps understand the existing activity, its strengths, and needs, and identifies gaps as well as duplication of effort.

The Hub can then act on these learnings to guide Network efforts where their value will be multiplies, enhancing the value of existing activities and generating new capability to achieve economy-wide emissions reductions. The Hub can then maximise the potential to develop important collaborations within the state, nationally and internationally to innovative solutions and drive the transition to a profitable, lower emissions economy.

The Hub includes the active involvement of regional organisations spanning the geographic breadth of NSW. This enables the Hub to create regional decarbonisation momentum using a strong place-based approach to deliver the Government’s objectives.

To accelerate impact, the Consortium is planning highly strategic Regional Showcase opportunities, to create local “innovation ecosystems”. One such key Regional Showcases is the Hunter Node of the Hub where a wide range of decarbonisation technologies, including-hydrogen related technologies will be trialled to de-risk investments, support institutional-grade capital, train new skills, and rapidly demonstrate successful collaboration models for other regions in NSW – and beyond.

This initiative is progressing according to the agreed program of work. All three networks – (i) Electrification and Energy Systems, (ii) Power Fuels, and (iii) Land & Primary Industries – have been fully established. Seed funding has been allocated to a number of projects by relevant networks through a competitive process. Stakeholder engagement and other activities are ongoing.

Related publications and key links:
Not applicable at this time.

Higher degree studies supported:
Nine postdoctoral research fellows and six PhD students will be supported by this project.

 

Reviewed: December 2024