News and events
Check this page regularly for CfNETR’s latest news and upcoming events. Here you will also find our archive of past news and events.
C4NET Research Grant success
23rd June 2023
Federation University researchers from the Centre for New Energy Transition Research (CfNETR) and the Centre for Smart Analytics (CSA) have been awarded three research grants as a part of the Enhanced System Planning Victoria (ESP-V) project by the Centre for New Energy Technologies (C4NET) amounting to $640,000.
Enhanced System Planning (ESP) is a major research project led and managed by C4NET aimed at informed electricity planning beyond 2030. It brings together Victorian Universities and Distribution Network System Providers (DNSPs) in a unique collaboration opportunity. ESP is a major initiative to deliver innovation leads toward achieving Australia’s net-zero emission goal and FedUni projects will contribute to that.
The first project ($150,000) will model the transmission and distribution system of Victoria with the integration of Electric vehicles (EVs), and new and emerging technologies. This project will be led by Dr Rakib Shah with Prof Nima Amjady and Prof Syed Islam joining the team.
The second project ($150,000) will use the model from the first project and answer the planning questions and consumer impact issues raised by the modelled outcomes for various scenarios. This project will be led by Dr Rakib Shah with Prof Nima Amjady and Prof Syed Islam joining the team.
A third project ($340,000) led by Associate Professor Gour Karmakar from the Centre for Smart Analytics (CSA) in conjunction with researchers from CfNETR will investigate future electricity demand and supply in Victoria under various what-if scenario analyses, taking into consideration of the future trend of EV uptake, transition to electricity from gas, and changes in demography and government policies. Prof Joarder Kamruzzaman (CSA), Dr Rakib Shah (CfNETR), and Prof Syed Islam (CfNETR) join the team.
Altogether these projects will deliver outcomes, insights, and innovative methods for managing energy needs in Victoria. The research will empower stakeholders to make informed decisions in their business operations and future planning, providing them with the necessary knowledge and tools.
CSIRO visit to Carbon Technology Research Laboratory
3rd April 2023
On 3rd April 2023, the Carbon Technology Research Laboratory at the Federation University’s Churchill campus hosted a delegation of 10 diplomatic journalists from Bangladesh led by Principal Scientist Dr Nawshad Haque, CSIRO. The delegation visiting the Latrobe Valley was sponsored by Australia Award under the Australian Government. The visitors were interested in the renewable energy research and development and the energy transition in Australia. Associate Professor Dr Surbhi Sharma and Dr Alicia Reynolds provided a tour of our facilities and discussed capabilities in carbon processing, and upcycling low-value carbon (lignite), and waste carbon into useful products for use in renewable energy industry. The visitors were also keen to understand the viability of blue hydrogen production from lignite and management and utilization of carbon dioxide.
Photo credit: Alana Auden
Dr Savin Chand receives the 2022 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence
15th December 2022
Dr Savin Chand (Net Zero Initiatives stream leader in the Centre for New Energy Transition Research) is the recipient of the 2022 Vice Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence. Dr Chand’s primary research focus is on severe weather events and climate extremes. He is also internationally recognised as an expert on tropical cyclones and climate change, and has made several important contributions to the field, including a paper in Nature Climate Change. Dr Chand has consistently maintained excellent research achievements through publication in high impact journals and short- and long-term grants to assist in his environmental research. He’s challenged conventional thinking which received extensive media coverage and gave Federation University national and international recognition in Climate Extremes Research.
Quote attributable to Savin Chand
"It is a great honour for me to be presented with this Award. I worked unwaveringly with many scientists from around the world on advancing cutting-edge research on Climate Science, particularly on how tropical cyclones are behaving in the warming world. This award is a clear reminder that “where there is a will, there is a way.”
CfNETR launch at Mt Helen Campus
7th March 2022
The Centre for New Energy Transition Research (CfNETR) was officially launched this week at Federation University’s Mt Helen Campus. Federation University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Duncan Bentley launched CfNETR on Thursday 10 March 2022, with a presentation by CfNETR Interim Director Professor Syed Islam. An audience of stakeholders from government, industry and the community attended the event.