New South Wales uni gets USD 3.4m for new hydrogen R&D lab

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) will become home to a research centre for hydrogen technologies with the help of over AUD 4.9 million (USD 3.4m/EUR 3m) in funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC).

The ARC Training Centre for The Global Hydrogen Economy will unite domestic researchers and key industry players around the goal of speeding up the commercialisation of renewable hydrogen. The university said on Tuesday that the new hub will focus specific priorities needed for an expansion of the renewable hydrogen industry and offer practical solutions to the challenges it faces.

The ARC financing will be disbursed over five years.

The research centre’s core priorities will include the production, storage and use of hydrogen as an energy source, the development of safety controls, commercialisation and public acceptance of hydrogen, and the identification of skill gaps potentially remaining in a hydrogen economy. Partner institutions will include the University of Newcastle, the University of Queensland, Curtin University and the University of Sydney. Its efforts will support the Aussie government’s goal for annual hydrogen exports of AUD 10 billion by 2040.

“Australia is well-positioned to capitalise on the emerging global growth of hydrogen. However, to be competitive and produce at scale, we need cost-effective hydrogen technologies and capabilities for transitioning hydrogen into an array of industries,” said UNSW deputy vice-chancellor, research, professor Nicholas Fisk.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.701/EUR 0.613)

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!