Program to boost Australia-India economic ties through new energy systems

Federation researchers will use their expertise in planning for the transition to new energy systems in a program that aims to help boost Australia’s economic ties with India.

The Centre for New Energy Transition Research (CfNETR) has been awarded a Federal Government grant under the Centre for Australia-India Relations to develop strategies for integrating electric vehicle (EV) technology into the national grid.

As part of the funding, Federation will host a PhD student from the Maitri Scholars Program which supports high-achieving students from India undertaking postgraduate studies in Australian universities. The program aims to deepen educational links and connect scholars and alumni with Australian businesses to support greater links between the two countries.

Academic and electrical engineering researcher Najma Habeeb will begin her PhD at Federation as part of the scholarship and explore EV integration in power systems as a clean energy solution for the high-emitting transport sector.

CfNETR researcher Associate Professor Rakibuzzaman Shah says the scholarship is timely, as Federation prepares to open an EV lab at the Mt Helen campus later this year. He says the grant also recognises CfNETR’s excellence in energy research in Australia and internationally.

“With the energy transition amid a changing environment, and with Australia’s science and research priorities, the Federal Government wants more meaningful international collaborations that address these areas,” Associate Professor Shah said.

The research priorities for the program include clean energy technology, battery manufacturing, AI advanced manufacturing and hydrogen production.

“The scholarship will allow the PhD students to contribute to developing these technologies and create closer ties between Australian and Indian businesses so that they can flourish further. It is about developing the technologies that both countries can benefit from.”

Associate Professor Shah says Federation’s application to participate in the program focused heavily on the strategic charging of EV fleets.

“We know there is much work happening on the electrification of transportation, including the fleet vehicles like buses and trucks, but we don’t know what impact this will have on our energy distribution systems. Victorian Distribution Network Service Providers such as AusNet Services have already flagged concerns of fleet vehicle charging on our vulnerable energy system in regional Victoria,” Associate Professor Shah said.

“We put forward a proposal that met our national priorities but this proposal also runs true for developing nations and nations with booming economies, like India.”

Associate Professor Shah says Federation is only one of five Australian universities accepted in the program. Only two are regionally based, while the others are Group of Eight universities. He says a key component of the research that will be done in coming years is Federation’s new EV lab, which will come online in 2024.

The project involves senior researchers with international recognition, including Professor Nima Amjady, an IEEE Fellow and Professor Syed Islam, an IEEE Life Fellow. An IEEE Fellow is a distinction reserved for select Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers members for their accomplishments in the electrical and electronic engineering fields.

“The EV lab we are developing will be different from most others, with a clear focus on the community,” he said.

“We have talked with many stakeholders, especially in Victoria, and their feedback has been that our EV lab will be unique – others are focusing on EVs from the battery manufacturing perspective and chemical characteristics, and others are concentrating on training and how to keep EVs moving.

“Our EV lab at Federation will focus on network and community issues because several questions come from our communities about how the transition will work. In that sense, we will launch quite a different type of EV lab.”

Associate Professor Shah says one of the critical outcomes of the research will be the creation of a framework that will give energy utilities a clearer indication of when large EV fleets should be charged and when they should not, as well as whether these large fleets can play a role in storing energy to support the grid.

“There has been a lot of recent discussion about the stability of the grid and the role that renewables will play in the future,” he said.

“Our project seeks to answer many of these questions and address many issues. For example, if a large bus operator has 500 buses with 80-100 kWh batteries, that is a large amount of energy that can potentially be used to help support the grid.”

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