CQUniversity Australia is partnering with renewable energy company Sunshine Hydro to launch the Sunshine Hydro Scholarship for two new PhD scholarships to further build the local knowledge base to drive the development of world-leading clean, renewable power in Central Queensland.
The scholarships will be delivered as part of CQUniversity’s Elevate program, which directly supports industry through applied research, led by emerging researchers and academic talent.
As part of the program, CQUniversity will co-invest with Sunshine Hydro to support two PhD students to undertake applied research on Superhybrid™ pumped hydro renewable energy projects based in Central Queensland.
These scholarships provide the opportunity for passionate students to delve head-first into global industry-leading research to advance Australia, Queensland, and the Central Queensland region, as international leaders in the application of pumped hydro renewable energy and green hydrogen production.
The successful scholarship recipients will be based at CQUniversity’s newly opened, and purpose built ‘Hydrogen and Renewable Energies Centre’ in Gladstone and will utilise the sector’s very latest specialised equipment and technology.
The students will take part in two physical modelling projects to benefit the proposed Djandori pumped hydro project near Miriam Vale, in Central Queensland, and inform future application of Sunshine Hydro’s leading renewable energy technologies.
Sunshine Hydro’s Michael Myer says Sunshine Hydro is committed to local participation and collaboration within Central Queensland and involving CQUniversity students early is a great start to help drive the success of the project.
“We are proudly partnering with CQUniversity to help deliver one of the world’s most innovative and sustainable renewable energy projects,” he said.
“We are at the forefront of this technology and want the best minds on board to study, inform and advance our projects to help decarbonise our industry and society. The outcomes of this research, combined with our projects will put the region on the map and cement CQUniversity researchers’ as true world-leading innovators.”
CQUniversity’s Chair of Renewable Energy, Professor Murray Shearer, said the partnership was another promising step in establishing Central Queensland, and specifically the Gladstone region as a world leader in hydrogen and renewable energy production, generation, and export.
“Central Queensland has many elements to create a clean energy ecosystem, including the Port of Gladstone, the close proximity of large industry, and suitable weather conditions to generate clean energy such as wind and solar.
“CQUniversity has a strong strategy to position us as an objective third-party who can do the work for industry to identify, test and apply innovation and then work collaboratively to develop and share knowledge to make, use and sell clean energy,” said Professor Shearer.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Sunshine Hydro to provide opportunities for future leaders in the renewables space and to create a homegrown pool of experts who will help Central Queensland to lead innovation and project viability.”
Sunshine Hydro’s Superhybrid ™pumped hydro projects assemble and integrate a combination of renewable energy inputs, outputs, and storage which can supply energy directly to the grid and generate green hydrogen (for energy storage and supply chain applications).
The CQUniversity Elevate Sunshine Hydro Scholarship applications as part of this project are open to students in Australia and overseas, and close on 1 January 2023 for commencement in the first quarter of 2023.
