New $2.3m Centre To Fast-track Clean Fuels

New $2.3m Centre To Fast-Track Clean Fuels

Australia's new research hub to fast-track creation of clean alternative fuels for the country's transport needs was officially launched at Murdoch University today by WA Transport Minister Hon. Simon O'Brien MLC.

Murdoch Vice Chancellor Professor John Yovich thanked the WA State Government for its $2.3 million funding of the University's new Centre for Research into Energy for Sustainable Transport (CREST) as a WA State Centre of Excellence.

"This new collaborative research hub will fast-track the creation, testing and commercialisation of clean, alternative fuels by our scientists, which is critical if Australia is to successfully meet the combined challenges of declining petroleum resources and slowing climate change, and in the process create new green businesses and jobs to boost the state and national economy," Professor Yovich said.

"Murdoch University has an international reputation for creating renewable energy solutions and scientists working through CREST offer many promising opportunities for new green technologies to assist the WA government and industry make the transition to a new sustainable transport system."

Professor Yovich said CREST brings together the State's leading researchers in alternative transport fuels and technologies drawing upon expertise in the university sector, industry and the public service.

Leading Murdoch scientists at CREST include Director, Professor David Harries, and Professors Parisa Arabzadeh Bahri, Pritam Singh and Philip Jennings.

Murdoch researchers at CREST are currently researching biofuel processing modelling, new energy products such as biofuel derived from microalgae, battery chemistry and fuel cells and hydrogen energy.

Professor Yovich said Murdoch's collaborative partner in CREST, Curtin University, had expertise in oil and gas technology and chemical engineering processes for the development of hybrid fuels, and Curtin research teams would contribute to CREST.

CREST research will include:

* ongoing reviews of oil depletion and the development of alternative transport fuels;

* development and testing of sustainable transport fuels for WA;

* development of hybrid transport fuels using mixtures of sustainable and fossil fuels;

* testing and evaluation of vehicles using sustainable fuels;

* possible stationary applications of alternative fuels and conversion systems;

* economic and lifecycle analysis of alternative fuels and transport systems;

* demonstrations of sustainable transport systems (e.g. fuel cell cars and buses, plug-in electric vehicles, biodiesel fuelled vehicles, hybrid systems);

* postgraduate education of future researchers of sustainable transport fuels;

* provision of information and training for potential users of sustainable transport fuels and systems.



Media contact:
Tanyia Maxted
Media & Communications Manager
Murdoch University
0438645839
[email protected]
www.murdoch.edu.au

SOURCE: Murdoch University