The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has received a major boost for its efforts to advance sustainable energy and low-emission technologies, with two of its projects securing a combined $6.3 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Leading the initiatives are Professor Yansong Shen and Scientia Professor Rose Amal, who are from UNSW’s School of Chemical Engineering. Their research aims to drive innovations in renewable hydrogen production and decarbonised iron and steel manufacturing.
Professor Shen’s project, dubbed the renewable injections-sustainable burdens (RISB) process, has been awarded $4.4 million to develop a novel blast furnace technology that can create low-emission iron using Australia’s abundant lower-grade iron ore resources.
“Our project is focused on new and cost-effective ways to optimise the use of low-grade Australian iron ore and the use of renewable fuels including fine-ferrous feeds, hydrogen-rich gases and biochar into the process,” Shen said.
Meanwhile, Amal’s team received $1.9 million to advance their production, multiphase electrolysers for renewable ammonia production project, which explores the direct conversion of air and water into clean ammonia – an important energy carrier in the emerging hydrogen economy.
“Renewable ammonia is an energy carrier in the emerging hydrogen economy,” Amal said.
“The ability to safely produce renewable ammonia through our hybrid advanced oxidation and electrolyser process has great potential to support the development of low-cost, clean ammonia in Australia.”
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the funding will support Australian innovation that is crucial for building the country’s clean energy industries and achieving net-zero emissions.
“We’re backing Australian technological innovation that helps build our clean industries and underpins our ambitions of becoming a renewable energy superpower,” he said.
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