Overview

Renewable energy (RE) has transformed the domestic electricity market in Australia through household solar installations and large scale solar and wind farms. By 2019, up to 12.2 GWh of household solar PV had been installed along with 8.5 GWh from solar farms. For 2018-19, Australia’s installations of solar PV increased at 10x the average global rate. Nevertheless, total RE (solar, wind, hydro, bioenergy) accounts for ~9% of total generation in Australia.

With limited capacity to buy power from neighbours, and a globally significant fossil fuel industry, Australia’s RE industry will transition to greater integration of storage capacity within existing networks as coal-fired power plants reach end of design life. Hydrogen is an ideal storage vector for the power industry and for end-users in the transport, chemicals and minerals/resources sectors. Both domestic and export markets are targeted although local use of hydrogen (e.g. in buses, trucks, ferries) is at a nascent stage. The first H₂ refueling station in Queensland will be commissioned early in 2021.

Local factors (eg water source(s) for electrolysis) as well as long distances between population and industrial centres are driving novel approaches to production of “green H₂ and derivatives” for domestic and export markets. This talk will explore these technology innovations in the context of a rapidly evolving industry pursuing strategic demonstrations with national/international industry/research collaborations.

Speaker

Professor Ian Mackinnon, Institute for Future Environments, QUT, Brisbane QLD Australia

Prof Mackinnon is assisting the Queensland Government with a strategic vision on “green” hydrogen for future domestic and export energy markets. Ian obtained his BSc (Hons) and PhD degrees at James Cook University and is the Founder and former Executive Director of the Institute for Future Environments. Ian was previously Executive Director at the Australian Research Council responsible for Engineering and Environmental Sciences and the Linkage Projects Scheme for collaborations between universities and industry. He has held appointments at Arizona State University, NASA Johnson Space Centre, The University of New Mexico and The University of Queensland.

Time 

09:00—10:00 GMT.

Format

A one-hour online session: 40 minutes' presentation + 20 minutes' Q&A.

Software

The presentation will be delivered via GoToWebinar®. 
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You are advised to join the webinar at least ten minutes before the scheduled start time, to allow for your computer to connect.

Webinar

This webinar is free of charge and open to all to attend.