ARC Research Hub to focus on batteries, energy storage
A new ARC Research Hub for Integrated Energy Storage Solutions will develop advanced energy storage technologies including batteries for extreme environments, structural supercapacitors, innovated fuel cells, and power-to-gas systems.
Its research will focus on novel and improved battery and supercapacitor technologies, in the form of vanadium, lithium-sulphur, iron- slurry and sodium-ion batteries, and methods for improving and supporting existing technologies such as lithium- ion. It will also pursue novel and improved fuel cell technologies, in the form of low cost and high durability proton exchange membrane fuel cells and ammonia-based fuel cells, enabling hydrogen export in the form of ammonia and its usage at the electricity generation point, and methods for hydrogen storage. And it will generate knowledge in storage technology manufacturing, control and management.
The Research Hub, established at UNSW and funded through the Australian Research Council’s Industrial Transformation Research Hubs Scheme, will be led by Professor Joe Dong of UNSW. Researchers from UNSW will collaborate there with colleagues from DST, UTS, Deakin University and a further 9 participating organisations and international collaborations providing a total input of $12 million.
The goal is to integrate new energy storage solutions into existing energy networks and applications using novel storage monitoring, control and optimisation technologies.
“What this Integrated Energy Storage Solutions Hub will embark on is absolutely vital to our nation’s future,” said Minister for Education Dan Tehan at the Research Hub launch.
“If we are to transition our economy, then having the energy solutions to do it is absolutely vital because if we don’t, we won’t be able to transition in a way which takes all Australians with us.”
He said that the research conducted at this hub will drive more secure, sustainable and economically efficient energy usage through effective storage devices and advanced technologies.
“Importantly, this research hub will bring together experts from universities and industry to work together to develop new, commercially-viable methods to capture surplus electricity from Australia’s abundant renewable resources,” he said.