ResearchResearch Organisations

Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy (CHRE)

Aerial view of the Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy building along the Gladstone Harbour

The Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy (CHRE) was developed to provide world-class research, training and support to the emerging hydrogen and renewable energy industries in Central Queensland.

Our vision is to cultivate world-class expertise to empower our industry partners and new industry clients as they embrace the transition to hydrogen and other clean energy. 

This will be accomplished by driving impactful research and development outcomes that directly align with commercial needs, while concurrently nurturing a highly skilled workforce and workforce pipelines though community and youth engagement initiatives. 

Our overarching strategy is to champion the creation of a robust regional clean energy and hydrogen manufacturing value chain in Central Queensland, centred in the economic powerhouse city of Gladstone, to bolster and uplift local industries and drive further economic growth. 

The Centre will feature a compact and versatile hydrogen production system that will enable hands-on immersive training, as well as provide a platform for solving practical research problems and testing new technologies. We are actively pursuing breakthrough solutions to support rural and remote communities in attaining energy self-sufficiency.

Through a pursuit of collaborative innovation, the Centre aims to serve as a dynamic hub for solving real-world research challenges and pushing the boundaries of ingenuity through the exploration and testing of new technologies.  

Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy

Transcript

[Music]

Paul Hodgson, Director – Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy:

So hydrogen is already a very large industry. It's used in a number of applications, but it has a very high carbon footprint because it uses methane as its source.

As green hydrogen, it can be used to decarbonise those streams, using renewables. But they can also be used potentially into replacing oil in heavy transport applications in the aviation sector, in maritime, in long-distance trucking and rail, and also into industrial and domestic heating, where gas would be used as a feed stock. 

It's really important for us to be investing in this sort of capacity and capability in the region, because the region is going to be attracting, and already is, significant amounts of investment over the coming decades. And we want to grow the local workforce so that we can, people can be employed in those projects, and so that the project proponents will be attracted to the region and will retain in the region and will be successful in the region, through renewable energy and hydrogen investment.

Dr Cal Deveny, Senior Research Officer: 

So it's really important for CQUniversity to offer research opportunities, training and education in hydrogen renewable energies, because we have an obligation to be supporting the transition to net zero. We want to align our objectives with sustainability and empower future workforces to be able to meet the future energy demands. To also work in clean energy hubs and to support that broader transition, that global transition, that that we need to do in order to combat the impacts of climate change.

Paul Hodgson, Director – Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy:

CQUniversity is supporting industry and community in a number of ways right across our campuses. One is in workforce development - so there's going to be a lot of jobs required, a lot of new skills as this industry develops, it's also important that we're developing solutions and local supply chains to actually underpin the success of those projects that industry are putting in place.

So we really want to maximise the innovation, and we want to retain the investment, and the position of Central Queensland as an energy and industrial superpower. Australia currently is a major energy exporter and being an exporter of renewables is going to be a really important step.

[Music]

Find Out More

Paul Hodgson

Paul Hodgson standing outside the Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy in a suit smiling at the camera

Director, Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy

Prior to joining CQUniversity in early 2024, Paul was Interim CEO of a bid for a Scaling Green Hydrogen Cooperative Research Centre, where he led the development of a ten-year research and training program, attracting 97 partners from 12 countries and $AU 163m of cash and in-kind support. Between 2017 and 2021, Paul was General Manager Innovation and Stakeholder Engagement (East Coast) for the Australian energy industry growth centre, NERA, where he led the development of a national network of regional hydrogen technology clusters. Paul completed a Master of Sustainable Development at CQUniversity in 2004.

Industry Partners

We have established a consortium of leading industry partners to anchor our work and our expectations in commercial reality. Partners include Fortescue, Sumitomo, Stanwell and Rio Tinto and we will also work with the Central Queensland Hydrogen Cluster and Gladstone Engineering Alliance.

Research and University Partners

Formal research partnerships have been established with Swinburne University and Charles Darwin University with funding support from the Commonwealth Regional Research Collaboration Fund.

Professor Jonathan Love

Jonathan Love standing infront of the Brisbane River in a suit smiling at the camera

Stanwell Professorial Chair in Hydrogen

Professor Jonathan Love has a PhD in Electrochemistry with a focus on hydrogen and fuel cell research for over 30 years in industry and academia. 

Professor Love’s expertise is in developing new technologies using electrochemical and materials science principles for renewable energy systems that include fuel cells, electrolysers and energy storage. 

In industry, Professor Love was a co-developer of an award-winning RD&D project for a world-leading innovative Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) product.  Before joining CQU, Professor Love was Academic Lead at QUT in the design and construction of laboratory scale (<1kW) and pilot plant scale (50kW) solar to renewable hydrogen production testbeds. 

Professor Love was a member of the Australian Hydrogen International Collaboration delegations to UK in 2022 and Singapore in 2023, and is the lead of the hydrogen production working group in the Australian Hydrogen Research Network (AHRN). Professor Love is a subject matter expert on Standards Australia Hydrogen Technology Committee ME093 working group WG6 on fuel cells that mirror IEA TC105.

School of Manufacturing – Gladstone

A combined research and training facility the School of Manufacturing accommodates process manufacturing, instrumentation-related training, advanced welding/metal fabrication training, hydrogen research/training and industrial pilot demonstrations. The facility can also host research and development activities with our industry partners.

Actual equipment includes:

  • Advanced instrumentation
  • Metal fabrication
  • Specialist welding
  • 3D metal printing
  • LNG
  • Hydrogen processing and blending facilities
  • Laboratories
  • Hydrogen industry incubator suites

School of Trades

The Hydrogen industry incubator suites are strategically located alongside this facility, which provides established industries and start-ups with space, specialist knowledge, skills and trades, student placements, apprentices and specialist equipment that will encourage research and training collaborations and drive new business outcomes for the region.

Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre

Our Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC) provides sustainable and workable solutions to environmental challenges, while supporting growth in key industries such as manufacturing, agriculture and Queensland’s multi-billion dollar tourism industry.

Training in hydrogen and renewable energy skills

Partnering with industry and government means that we can help transform Gladstone into a powerhouse of hydrogen skills and training, providing knowledge and leadership for other hydrogen centres in Queensland and across Australia. The University is set to become the first institution to conduct training courses in hydrogen production.

Access to hydrogen

We have leveraged our well-established relationships with Gladstone industry to secure ongoing supplies of surplus hydrogen for use in training, teaching and research and development activities.

The Centre's research and development activities are grouped in three programs:

  • Bioeconomy, energy efficiency and waste valorisation, including waste-to-energy and materials, biomass, SAF and biofuels, biochar, industrial heat utilisation, and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
  • Renewable electrification, including wind, solar, transmission and distribution, microgrids, batteries, pumped hydro and other related technologies.
  • Hydrogen, through electrolysis and derivatives such as ammonia, methanol, a range of e-fuels and e-chemicals, and storage and distribution in gas and liquid form.

The Centre also works closely with other CQUniversity Centres and Institutes on enabling research programs such as those in workforce development, water and environment, social license, and industry applications.

Hydrogen News

CQUniversity launches Mini Superhybrid technology initiative

CQUniversity has joined forces with Sunshine Hydro to develop a Mini Superhybrid™ that aims to support Central Queensland’s efforts to find further solutions for decarbonisation and serve as a globally significant testbed for long duration storage and renewable energy.

CQU’s hydrogen training in hot demand from Queensland industry

CQUniversity is continuing to support major Queensland industries implement hydrogen with new training sessions being delivered to Fortescue, Stanwell, Ark Energy, CS Energy and various other government and industry partners.

Stanwell appoint dedicated CQUniversity Research Chair

Stanwell Corporation and CQUniversity Australia have jointly announced the appointment of a foundation Professorial Research Chair to advance innovation opportunities aligned with Stanwell’s hydrogen and renewable energy ambitions.

Gladstone strengthens title as hydrogen heavyweight

A state-of-the-art community information centre will be established at CQUniversity's Gladstone Marina campus to coordinate hydrogen industry events and build awareness of a clean energy sector that’s fast-shaping up to be a major local employer.

Racing towards renewable energy in H2GP competition

Students from Kingsley College showcased their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills on the track at the recent Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix (H2GP).

New Hydrogen Director a breadth of energy

A new leader is at the helm of CQUniversity’s Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy (CHRE).

Contact Us

Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy (CHRE)

Gladstone Marina Campus
43 Bryan Jordan Drive
Callemondah Qld 4680

Phone: 07 3228 4837
Email: chre@cqu.edu.au