Green hydrogen powering the future of NZ
The idea of using green hydrogen to power the world is nearly everywhere 鈥 it has the potential to alter the playing field for sustainable power, but it鈥檚 just that 鈥 an idea. Professor Any Nicol and Dr David Dempsey have received multi-million-dollar government funding to start making that idea a reality. The research team will answer critical questions for the future of green hydrogen in New Zealand. The team have found a handful of suitable sites and will continue to investigate these sites to find the most suitable. Once the team has answered outstanding questions, underground storage of hydrogen could enable us to store large amounts of energy for use during times of high demand. Their research will start laying the key foundations for a sustainably powered New Zealand.
Organic, recyclable batteries
Associate Professor Deborah Crittenden says long-life, high performance organic batteries are possible, and could be a cost-effective and environmentally conscious replacement for the lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries commonly used to store energy from rooftop solar panels. On a larger scale, they could help Aotearoa store energy generated from renewable wind and solar farm sources across the national grid. 鈥淲e believe these batteries will play a critical role in helping New Zealand reach its climate change goals of聽100% renewable electricity generation by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2050,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e working on using room temperature molten salts made out of cheap and plentiful organic materials to boost the energy density of existing redox-flow batteries. We expect our batteries to be roughly on-par with lithium-ion batteries in terms of energy density and voltage, but because the energy storage components of our batteries are liquids, they will be instantly refillable and rechargeable and have substantially lower environmental impacts than other batteries on the market because of their sustainable and recyclable materials,鈥 says Associate Professor Crittenden.
Producing green hydrogen from trees
Chemical and Process Engineering PhD student Jhulimar Castro is part of a team led by Professor Shusheng Pang that has been working on experimental research to convert the wood biomass to green hydrogen and securing future energy supply. 鈥淕reen hydrogen is one of the best alternatives to fossil fuels, which is why it is a key factor in the Government鈥檚 net zero emissions by 2050 scenario,鈥 says Castro. 鈥淚t is important to me as a chemical engineer to contribute towards solutions for the world鈥檚 challenges through research, in this case climate change mitigation and energy security. In the future, my goal is to join an energy company to help with the commercialisation of this technology and to apply my research to do something beneficial for our communities, economy and environment,鈥 says Castro.
Predicting natural power
Geothermal energy is extracted from heat deep beneath the Earth鈥檚 surface. Because it sits over the boundaries of two active tectonic plates, New Zealand has a number of geothermal areas.聽Geothermal fields are used for energy generation, however small earthquakes or hydrothermal eruptions could threaten that energy production. Dr Alberto Ardid and Dr David Dempsey are part of a research team developing new monitoring systems that can anticipate geothermal instability, by harnessing insights from data collected from geyser eruptions in Yellowstone National Park, USA. The goal is to provide new monitoring systems for the geothermal industry to help reduce risks to people or harm to the land resulting from small hydrothermal eruptions or earthquakes triggered by geothermal activity. Dr Dempsey, who oversees the research, says the aim is to help New Zealand鈥檚 geothermal industry adapt to future hazards environmental changes caused by humans, and climate-change mitigation strategies like carbon sequestration.聽鈥淣ew Zealand鈥檚 geothermal industry has an enormous role to play in Aotearoa鈥檚 low carbon future, but we need to be alert to new hazards and be prepared to mitigate them,鈥 says Dr Dempsey.
M膩ori perspectives in research on sustainable energy
Civil Systems Engineering Senior Lecturer Dr Rebecca Peer鈥檚 research project engages with M膩ori iwi and hap奴 to understand Indigenous perspectives on energy, sustainability, and energy transitions. The project supports ongoing research on pathways towards a net-zero energy system, with the goal of integrating m膩tauranga M膩ori into planning and evaluating our energy futures in Aotearoa New Zealand.
New EVs for UC
We aim to have a fleet of 97% fully electric/hybrid vehicles by 2030. This year we purchased six further electric and hybrid EVs (three passenger and three service vehicles) to replace our petrol and diesel vehicles. Additional charging points scattered around campus were also added.
Novel approach using night light
A novel statistical modelling method聽is helping to identify areas across the globe most in need of aid and infrastructure. The collaborative research of UC Professor of Statistics Elena Moltchanova and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria uses global earth observation systems to tackle large-scale problems. Professor Moltchanova says electrification holds great promise for increasing wellbeing, via off-grid power generation or grid electrification with significant positive impacts on household income, expenditure, health, and education. 鈥淢any poor areas do not have access to any electricity at all鈥 and do not have 鈥渁ccess to computers and phones which we take for granted鈥 or 鈥渁ccess to medical equipment, which again, requires electricity. So, for poorer areas, it is important to electrify鈥, says Professor Moltchanova.
Sharing knowledge worth millions
After receiving multi-million-dollar funding to unlock significant hydrogen concepts,聽UC and University of Otago researchers joined forces with community initiatives. The researchers are working in collaboration with a local Christchurch company, Fabrum. Together the teams will strive to embed skills and learning across pathways that will enhance the ability for learners to engage with all the aspects of renewable energy, including hydrogen in its many facets.
Research advancing green hydrogen energy
Civil Systems Engineering researchers Dr Rebecca Peer and Dr Jannik Haas are聽leading a project to develop an integrated energy system model for New Zealand聽that could provide sustainable transport, heating, and electricity. Chemical and Process Engineering Professor Aaron Marshall is leading a collaborative project to develop a new type of electrolyser 鈥 a tool that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen 鈥 to produce hydrogen energy in a more cost-effective way.
mini传媒 the EPECentre
The Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre) is a leading independent electric power and clean technologies research group, delivering specialist world-class research and innovation. Located on our Ilam campus, the EPECentre has strong understanding of the NZ Electricity landscape and NZ industry in general, including the manufacturing and primary sectors. With advanced laboratory facilities, the EPECentre team has high calibre researchers with cross-disciplinary capabilities, postgraduate students and support staff in management and technical roles. For over two decades now, the team has worked with large numbers of national and global industry partners and collaborators. The team delivers outcomes through research and development projects (funded by both government and industry), and specialist consulting services. EPECentre also delivers education supervision and teaching, including the provision of professional development courses.
Future Architecture of the Network
Led by UC, the Future Architecture of the Network (FAN) project is investigating what the future electrical power system might look like in Aotearoa New Zealand. The major research challenge is to determine the future architecture, topology and a transition pathway. FAN is funded by the NZ Government and involves researchers from five NZ universities and the University of Cambridge working together on the collaborative project. The main hypothesis is that high penetration of DC transmission and distribution (conveyance) into the AC grid will provide many benefits to transition to a low-carbon power system.
Low Carbon Freight Transport
EPECentre has been commissioned to undertake action-based, multidisciplinary research on a聽low carbon freight transport system in Aotearoa聽New Zealand. Phase 1 of the research project is underway, which aims to deliver over the next year a baseline of direct tank-to-wheel transport Greenhouse Gas emissions for key commodities and modes.
Transition Engineering short courses
There has never been a greater need for engineering to respond to the challenges of mitigation and adaptation. Transition Engineering professional short courses are about building a sustainable future. These short courses are supported by the Electric Power Engineering Centre, located on our Ilam campus. Transition Engineering is the way the projects of carbon down-shift get done. Long-term plans involve a lot more than meeting emissions targets, but at this critical time all of our infrastructure, buildings, land use and products must be redeveloped into the adaptive, resilient and low carbon versions. The short courses were developed to prepare engineers and professionals working in various fields and are delivered in a flexible and self-paced online format. Globally, they鈥檙e some of the only courses offered in the field.
Creating 鈥榞reen鈥 hydrogen to power our world
UC researchers are developing a carbon-neutral 鈥 even carbon-negative 鈥 way to create clean 鈥榞reen鈥 hydrogen聽to power our world more sustainably. Professor Shusheng Pang and Associate Professor Alex Yip are focusing on using renewable biomass 鈥 such as tree and plant waste from New Zealand鈥檚 forestry and agriculture sectors 鈥 to make green hydrogen. This clean energy source can be used to replace fossil fuels, including coal and natural gas, for transport, industry use, and heating our homes. Associate Professor Yip says: 鈥淲e are using a unique approach based on new technology in catalysis to simultaneously generate high-purity hydrogen and enable CO2 capture. The overall process 鈥榰nlocks鈥 the potential of using New Zealand biomass, such as trees, plants, and other renewable resources, which are abundant here.鈥
Unique research into tech-critical metals
Cutting-edge research into obtaining tech-critical metals from mixed oxides could play an important role in helping Aotearoa New Zealand transition to a zero-carbon country. The transdisciplinary team, led by UC鈥檚 Associate Professor Catherine Bishop, integrates experts in Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical and Process Engineering, and Minerals processing. The research is focused on the processing of tantalum, a hard to process metal; and neodymium, a rare earth metal, in the initial proof-ofconcept stage. These are used in capacitors and magnets, including the magnets that are a key component in almost all wind turbines. 鈥淒eveloping a new, carbon-free route to obtaining these critical metals will, with further innovation, be a means to achieving New Zealand鈥檚 low carbon goals; securing access to these metals has also been identified as essential for achieving equitable transition to low carbon goals by the International Energy Agency,鈥 says Associate Professor Bishop.
Joining forces
We joined forces in a strategic partnership with the Western Institute of Technology in Taranaki to support the transition to clean energy and improve accessibility to education in Taranaki. The three-year agreement, effective from semester one in 2022, creates opportunities for joint teaching and for students to move more easily from one institution to the other.聽The partnership focuses on sustainable energy, business studies and on supporting mana whenua tauira|M膩ori students.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor de la Rey, says, 鈥淲e believe that by working together and sharing our knowledge and expertise we can be more effective at cocreating real solutions for the challenges ahead. Taranaki is an early adopter in the transition to clean energy, moving away from fossil fuel industries, and we are looking forward to playing a part in the region鈥檚 ambitious Taranaki 2050 Roadmap. This could be an example for the rest of Aotearoa to achieve carbon emission goals while providing equitable transitions and sustainable community development."
Electric Power Engineering聽Centre
EPECentre and PEET are joint initiatives聽between the electricity industry聽and聽UC. EPECentre is a world-class clean聽technology research incubator that聽fosters collaboration and innovation.聽Ongoing research, with a positive impact聽on carbon emissions, includes new聽technology impact assessment (e.g.聽Electric Vehicle), research programmes聽on electricity grid transformation聽(e.g. defining the architecture of the聽future low-carbon power system) and聽electrification of transport (e.g. electric聽motor drives for large scale transport). Education and outreach activities聽delivered by EPECentre on behalf of PEET聽connect students, academia and industry聽to enhance the mutual experience.
Future-Proofing the NZ Electrical Grid
Professor Neville Watson, from UC鈥檚聽Department of Electrical & Computer聽Engineering,聽leads a major project聽to ensure modern renewable energy聽can be integrated into New Zealand鈥檚 century-old electrical grid to futureproof聽the power supply and benefit聽every New Zealander. Professor Watson鈥檚聽programme will research how high聽levels of direct current from renewable聽 electricity technologies, like solar and聽wind power, electric vehicles and battery storage, can be efficiently integrated into聽the alternating current electrical grid as聽well as which parts of the electrical grid聽would be better served by using direct聽current for conveyance.
Education in Renewable聽Energy
Global needs for renewable energy聽are constantly rising. In our minor in聽Engineering Processing Technologies programme, students gain insight into聽the various kinds of energy, such as聽hydrogen, geothermal, solar, hydropower聽and wind, and learn how to identify聽opportunities to reduce energy demand.聽In other UC programmes, students can聽learn about the variety of renewable聽energy resources and conversion聽technologies, system modelling聽techniques, challenges to sustainability,聽and practical solutions to common issues.聽Graduates can continue with the聽Master聽of Civil Engineering (Renewable Energy) or聽Master of Engineering Studies (Renewable聽Energy) programmes.
Minor in Power聽Engineering
Efficient and sustainable power聽generation and transmission is highly聽important in the modern world. Systems聽such as generators, transformers, and聽motors are widely used across different聽industries, and therefore need graduates聽with the expertise to create and improve聽these.聽UC students can investigate electric聽power generation, distribution, and聽usage through electrical devices in our聽Power Engineering minor聽programme.聽They learn about the different forms of聽power, how power is created and about聽specialised systems, such as renewable聽energy.
Greener Future in Solar聽Cell Technology
Dr Paula Brooksby, a Senior Researcher in UC鈥檚 School of Physical and Chemical聽Science, is at the forefront of聽research聽to refine fast-advancing solar cell聽technology. Dr Brooksby is exploring the potential of a carbon-based material聽(graphene) to revolutionise photovoltaic聽technology and performance. With the聽support of a grant from the Marsden聽Fund, Dr Brooksby and co-researcher Dr Noel Duffy (CSIRO) plan to fully聽investigate graphene as a tool in solar聽cell design. Their goal is to be the first聽to engineer thin transparent grapheneorganic聽film electrodes to evaluate their聽potential use in perovskite solar cells.
A Graduate鈥檚 Voice on聽Renewable Energy
Sonam Zam聽completed UC鈥檚 Master聽of Engineering Studies (Renewable聽Energy). Sonam works at the stateowned聽Druk Green Power Corporation in聽Bhutan, which operates and maintains聽hydropower assets. Bhutan is landlocked,聽mountainous, and highly dependent聽on hydropower. 鈥淢y Master鈥檚 project聽focused on pumped hydro which will be聽important in Bhutan because at present we don鈥檛 have reservoirs for storing聽water. What I鈥檝e studied in New Zealand聽is renewable energy, hydro, solar and聽wind and I鈥檓 hoping I can apply these聽back at home. In聽 some remote areas of聽Bhutan, hydropower isn鈥檛 viable so solar聽and wind-generated energy would be聽more practical options. I was completely聽new to those when I came here [to New聽Zealand]鈥 says Sonam.聽
