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Thursday, 17 December 2009

Inspired by the challenges associated with providing energy both now and for future generations, the UWA Centre for Energy (UWACE) has been established within the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics.

‘The naming of the Centre has been chosen to reflect both the current importance of petroleum, natural gas and coal as the dominant primary energy sources through the rapidly growing oil and gas industry in WA and the strong coal industry in Australia, and the potential change in energy balance in the future' said the foundation Director of Centre, Winthrop Professor Dongke Zhang FTSE.

The Centre will conduct world class scientific research and technological development and provide consulting services in the areas of natural gas, petroleum, coal and biomass, geothermal energy and energy efficiency, marine and subsea and future energy.

The Centre is a great example of collaboration between UWA and industry which will significantly contribute to the sustainable future of Western Australia.

The founder of the Centre, Professor Zhang, has in the past ten years attracted more than $16M research funding from various industry sources while being a very competitive player in Australian Research Council (ARC) funding schemes. The collaborating organisations include Chevron, Woodside Energy, BHP Billiton Iron Ore, Fuel Technology Pty Ltd, Griffin Coal Mining Company, Wesfarmers Premier Coal, ANSAC, ENN Group and Synfuels China.

‘The primary aim of the establishment of the Centre is to preserve the level of UWA's activity and recognition in the energy sector and provide a growth path for UWA's engagement with the broader energy sector in the region and globally' said Professor Zhang.

The Centre Director has demonstrated the capability to support collaborative activity by building upon the current activities initiated by Centre members. This includes not only strategic alliances with industry partners, but also cooperation with other organisations: WA:ERA (Western Australian Energy Research Alliance), CIEAM (CRC for Integrated Engineering Asset Management) and other universities in Australia and internationally.

The formation of the Centre will facilitate a broad range of staff to teach industrially relevant units through postgraduate coursework programs. An additional aspect of the teaching-research nexus will give UWA students and staff exposure to a greater number of industry lecturers with the potential to engage in collaborative research projects with industry.

The Centre will focus on building the level of industry collaborative research between UWA and the energy sector. It will broaden the activity of addressing future energy needs, including sustainability and environmental considerations. This will allow the Centre to strengthen significantly UWA's reputation within the energy and resources industry.

‘The UWA Centre for Energy endeavours to become an internationally reputable research facility in fuels, energy and sustainable development. The Centre's overall aim is to develop new knowledge and advanced technologies for efficient, effective and environmentally friendly utilisation of fuels and energy in the resources industries' - Professor Zhang said.

On the attached photo the Director of the Centre, Winthrop Professor Dongke Zhang FTSE.

Media references

Winthrop Professor Dongke Zhang FTSE / [email protected] / 6488 8668

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Centre for Energy — Energy and Minerals Institute — School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering