Green hydrogen and biofuels

Program mission

To create a sustainable energy future, renewable alternatives are needed to replace fossil fuels. Our research program is responding to this need by developing new technologies and materials to support and encourage the increasing global demand for green hydrogen and biofuels.

Our program takes a multi-disciplinary and whole-systems approach to solve challenges associated with how to produce, store and use green hydrogen and biofuels efficiently, reliably, safely and at lower costs to meet future sustainable energy demands.

QUT researchers are developing solutions for:

  • green hydrogen production from water electrolysis using renewable electricity and sustainable water sources
  • conversion of biomass and waste materials to fuels and value-added products using thermochemical technologies such as HTL and pyrolysis
  • catalyst design for efficient biofuel production, water electrolysis electrodes and fuel cell electrodes
  • fuel performance and emissions measurements in engines
  • process engineering design and modelling for green hydrogen and biofuels
  • electrolysers for efficient production of green hydrogen and hydrogen carriers
  • fuel cells for efficient conversion of green hydrogen, hydrogen carriers and biofuels to renewable electricity and heat
  • storage of green hydrogen and hydrogen carriers
  • techno-economy analysis of green hydrogen and biofuels production, distribution, storage, and use.

Waste to value

Waste materials are increasingly being viewed as an opportunity to produce value-added green fuel products. Conversion by thermochemical technologies such as hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is one of the most promising technologies to process waste feedstock. QUT’s HTL group is a world leader in converting agricultural waste to green fuels and secondary products.

Green hydrogen

QUT’s ARENA-funded H2Xport pilot plant facility is a flexible plug-and-play facility for benchmarking multiple technologies for research in green hydrogen production. Research grade prototypes and commercial equipment can be integrated in a renewable microgrid to research synergies, interoperability, control algorithms and aggregate efficiencies that includes operational models and data analytics.

Fuelling innovation

QUT’s Biofuel Engine Research Facility is Australia’s leading laboratory for measuring engine performance and emissions from low-carbon fuels including biofuels, ammonia and hydrogen with a range of interchangeable engines creates versatility for investigating novel fuels. The emissions measurements are world leading through partnership with QUT’s International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, a World Health Organisation-collaborating institution.

Program team