Electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to formic acid. This project aims to develop economical and scalable carbon dioxide electrochemical technologies to convert carbon dioxide in blast furnace flue gas to formic acid as a value-added product in steel-making plants. The project expects to develop new electrochemical catalysts, to optimise the structure of electrodes and ultimately improve carbon dioxide conversion efficiency and reaction selectivity towards formic acid. The expected outco ....Electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to formic acid. This project aims to develop economical and scalable carbon dioxide electrochemical technologies to convert carbon dioxide in blast furnace flue gas to formic acid as a value-added product in steel-making plants. The project expects to develop new electrochemical catalysts, to optimise the structure of electrodes and ultimately improve carbon dioxide conversion efficiency and reaction selectivity towards formic acid. The expected outcomes of this project will provide an efficient and economically viable electrochemical technology to convert carbon dioxide to a valuable product such as formic acid or syngas, with the potential to significantly reduce the emission of carbon dioxide from steel-making processes and coal-fired power plants.Read moreRead less
Greening procurement of infrastructure construction: optimising mass-haul operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This project will develop and prototype tools to reduce the high environmental impact of mass haul operations in road and rail infrastructure projects. Both contractors and clients need practical methods for calculating, optimising and procuring optimal solutions, because mass haul is one of the few areas where a contractor can reduce carbon dioxide impact.
Multi-service assessment of intertidal treatment wetlands. This project aims to investigate the use of constructed intertidal wetlands to reduce nitrogen pollution while providing co-benefits including carbon sequestration and biodiversity. This research will generate a holistic assessment of the services, disservices, and cost-effectiveness of intertidal treatment wetlands compared to traditional wastewater treatment approaches. Expected outcomes include a full-scale multi-disciplinary environm ....Multi-service assessment of intertidal treatment wetlands. This project aims to investigate the use of constructed intertidal wetlands to reduce nitrogen pollution while providing co-benefits including carbon sequestration and biodiversity. This research will generate a holistic assessment of the services, disservices, and cost-effectiveness of intertidal treatment wetlands compared to traditional wastewater treatment approaches. Expected outcomes include a full-scale multi-disciplinary environmental and economic assessment of a constructed treatment wetland in a new urban development, providing industry and government partners the knowledge required to broaden uptake of intertidal wetlands as a cost-effective solution to growing levels of coastal anthropogenic pollution.Read moreRead less
Transforming residues from meat processing into engineered soil amendments. The aim of this project is to transform organic residues from meat processing into agricultural soil amendments that actively improve nutrient retention and reduce nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) emissions. Current disposal and treatment options for meat processing residues are economically and environmentally unsustainable. In this research, a modified hydrothermal carbonisation process will be developed to tran ....Transforming residues from meat processing into engineered soil amendments. The aim of this project is to transform organic residues from meat processing into agricultural soil amendments that actively improve nutrient retention and reduce nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) emissions. Current disposal and treatment options for meat processing residues are economically and environmentally unsustainable. In this research, a modified hydrothermal carbonisation process will be developed to transform organic residues into novel hydrochars. The influence of these hydrochars on soil nutrient retention and nitrous oxide production will then be assessed using stable isotope tracing, genetic characterisation, and numerical modeling. The project will reduce the economic and environmental costs of organic waste disposal.Read moreRead less
Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. This project aims to realize green logistics by researching how to run diesel-powered heavy-duty milk trucks economically and efficiently on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and demonstrating to logistics companies that LNG conversion will reduce operating costs and emissions. Transportation systems account for 18% of Australia's carbon emissions, and diesel-po ....Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. This project aims to realize green logistics by researching how to run diesel-powered heavy-duty milk trucks economically and efficiently on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and demonstrating to logistics companies that LNG conversion will reduce operating costs and emissions. Transportation systems account for 18% of Australia's carbon emissions, and diesel-powered logistics vehicles are a major contributor. However, converting these trucks to LNG requires strong evidence to convince logistics companies of the benefits of shifting to green logistics. An increase in logistics productivity is expected to increase Australia’s gross domestic product by $2 billion, while this research should also provide vital data on sustainability issues and LNG conversions.Read moreRead less
Reducing plate waste in hotels - which interventions are most effective? This project aims to quantify the comparative effectiveness of belief-based and choice-architecture-based interventions in reducing food waste generated by tourists at hotel buffets. Expected outcomes include: new insights into effective triggers of pro-environmental tourist behaviour; the first empirical data on carbon emissions caused by plate waste in tourism; an automatic plate waste measurement system and benchmarking ....Reducing plate waste in hotels - which interventions are most effective? This project aims to quantify the comparative effectiveness of belief-based and choice-architecture-based interventions in reducing food waste generated by tourists at hotel buffets. Expected outcomes include: new insights into effective triggers of pro-environmental tourist behaviour; the first empirical data on carbon emissions caused by plate waste in tourism; an automatic plate waste measurement system and benchmarking app for monitoring and comparison; and effective practical measures to reduce avoidable food leftovers generated by tourists. This should provide significant benefits by: lowering food cost for the struggling tourism industry, reducing carbon emissions, and contributing to Australia’s aim of halving food waste by 2030.Read moreRead less
Maximise goaf gas drainage for safe coal extraction and emissions reduction. Coal mine methane is a serious mining hazard and greenhouse gas emissions. This project seeks to enhance mining safety by maximising gas capture during coal extraction. This will be achieved through field data back-analysis, coupled Multiphysics modelling, and stochastic risk assessment. Gas explosion and spontaneous combustion risks associated with intensive gas drainage will be quantitively assessed and eliminated to ....Maximise goaf gas drainage for safe coal extraction and emissions reduction. Coal mine methane is a serious mining hazard and greenhouse gas emissions. This project seeks to enhance mining safety by maximising gas capture during coal extraction. This will be achieved through field data back-analysis, coupled Multiphysics modelling, and stochastic risk assessment. Gas explosion and spontaneous combustion risks associated with intensive gas drainage will be quantitively assessed and eliminated to help mine managers’ decision making, design optimisation, and mitigation planning. This will provide significant benefit for the mining industry in maintaining production commitments in a safe workplace while addressing environmental concerns by capturing the fugitive emissions to be converted into a useful energy resource.Read moreRead less
An investigation of the impacts of increased power supply to the national grid by wind generators on the Australian electricity industry. The aim of this project is to discover the most economical and effective way to accommodate large increases in wind power into the national grid and to understand the effects on the national electricity market. This is crucial to ensure stability of electricity supply and affordable prices in the transition towards a low carbon economy.
Nanoengineered, Encapsulated Catalysts from Fly Ash Waste. This project aims to deliver advanced catalysts and novel catalyst synthesis methods from the use of iron-rich fly ash, an otherwise abundant valueless waste with projected steady growth across Australia and globally. The as-synthesised catalysts are expected to be applicable to and exhibit excellent activity in the production of green hydrogen and renewable bio-fuels from lignocellulosic waste. These efforts are significant and benefici ....Nanoengineered, Encapsulated Catalysts from Fly Ash Waste. This project aims to deliver advanced catalysts and novel catalyst synthesis methods from the use of iron-rich fly ash, an otherwise abundant valueless waste with projected steady growth across Australia and globally. The as-synthesised catalysts are expected to be applicable to and exhibit excellent activity in the production of green hydrogen and renewable bio-fuels from lignocellulosic waste. These efforts are significant and beneficial in restoring the manufacturing capability of Australian industry, driving Australian industry towards the development of a circular economy for the appropriate management of solid waste, as well as for a seamless introduction of renewable and clean energy sources to address the pressing climate change.Read moreRead less
Chemicals in compostable food contact paper packaging materials. The aim of this project is to understand the presence of persistent chemicals in recyclable and compostable food contact materials (FCMs). These types of products are destined for recycling or biowaste streams that bridge the gap from take-make-dispose and into a circular economy. Currently, the knowledge of the chemicals in these products is limited but we need to ensure that they are safe and do not unnecessarily contaminate reso ....Chemicals in compostable food contact paper packaging materials. The aim of this project is to understand the presence of persistent chemicals in recyclable and compostable food contact materials (FCMs). These types of products are destined for recycling or biowaste streams that bridge the gap from take-make-dispose and into a circular economy. Currently, the knowledge of the chemicals in these products is limited but we need to ensure that they are safe and do not unnecessarily contaminate resource recovery streams. It is expected that this project will develop a framework that could be used by industry and government to prevent chemicals of concern persisting in a circular economy, providing environmental and economic benefits through reduced risk of chemical exposure and unnecessary remediation costs.Read moreRead less