The Central Queensland University (CQU) has joined forces with Brisbane-based renewables orchestration software company Sunshine Hydro, to develop and trial their technology, specific to long duration storage and renewable energy.
Sunshine Hydro uses an advanced energy storage optimisation program (AESOP) to orchestrate multiple renewable energy assets such as pumped hydro, electrolysers, wind and solar to create an optimal outcome for the ecosystem.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CQU is to collaborate on the development of a Mini-SuperhybridTM that aims to support Central Queensland’s efforts to find decarbonisation solutions focussing on long duration storage and renewable energy, with potential implication for green fuel production.
The two entities will research and test the live-modelling software to track real world power into the grid for long duration storage and renewable energy.
Image: Sunshine Hydro
CQUniversity Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Director Paul Hodgson said the partnership will assist in establishing deeper training capability for the technology, operation and maintenance of flow batteries, electrolysers, hydrogen productions and dispensing and methanol production facilities.
“In doing so, it allows us to enhance skills development in the region through up-skilling and indeed cross-skilling workers in the energy and mining sectors as it will open doors to other projects, for example, green fuels,” Hodgson said.
“The potential for the CQU Mini-SuperhybridTM as a proof-of-concept to supply hydrogen as feedstock to a possible green fuels plant provides further opportunities for job creation, new skills and a path to enable Gladstone to become a future sustainable green fuels hub.”
Sunshine Hydro Chief Executive Officer Rick McElhinney said the partnership’s research will inform how to build the future of long duration storage and renewable energy.
“Coursework will be developed based on it and students from all over the world will come to Gladstone based on this edge,” McElhinney said.
He said it would provide a model that is financially viable to support long duration energy storage in the market and accelerate the road map to turning the Port of Gladstone and other Australian locations into green fuel hubs.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.