A $4.2 million research centre based at the University of Newcastle (UON) will support researchers in solving critical clean energy challenges, by helping with the development of hybrid energy systems.
The VTara Green Energy Technology (VGET) is being led by Professor Behdad Moghtaderi (pictured above), Director of UON’s Priority Research Centre for Frontier Energy Technologies and Utilisation, with collaboration from the VTara Energy Group.
One of the first technologies to be rolled out by VGET will be an integrated hybrid gasification and power pack system that uses genetically modified short rotation energy crops such as precision farmed and harvested bamboo as feedstock to produce a gas for power generation.
"We’re excited to be developing some new technologies but most importantly, the industry collaboration enables us to see the application where it’s needed," Professor Moghtaderi said.
The researchers at VGET will firstly build a pilot-scale technology demonstration at the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER), and then field test the technology in India.
"The first demonstration site has the potential to power up to 40,000 – 50,000 homes in developing economies annually," Professor Moghtaderi explained.
"Such technologies have a wide application globally, particularly in underdeveloped and developing economies, where there are 1.3 billion people that have no access to electricity. Our work could change lives."
Chairman and CEO of VTara Energy Group, Dr Clive Stephens, said the partnership will play an important role in advancing the needs of regional communities globally.
"The establishment of VGET’s collaborative environment is a fantastic development for the future of rural and regional electrification globally. VTara Energy can demonstrate and deploy a suite of hybrid technologies, such as decentralised waste to energy applications, state-of-the-art smart grid technologies and energy storage and harvesting, to a global market," he said.
[Image: Professor Behdad Moghtaderi]
Energy will be a major topic of discussion at the Australian Engineering Conference 2016 in Brisbane on November 23-25.