Energy

Queensland’s electric power network operates as part of the national power grid, which is developing and adopting smart systems and technology to efficiently manage power use. The state also has a regulatory environment that supports the use and development of renewable transport fuels.

Queensland is ideally placed to be a world leader in the development of renewable energy sources. The state boasts a combination of world-class researchers and a long-term competitive advantage in the production of key alternative fuel feedstocks such as sugarcane and grains—particularly sorghum.

Supplying reliable, affordably energy that is also sustainable is about the greatest challenge that our society faces.
Professor Chris Greig
Director, UQ Energy Initiative Director
Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation

With some of the best solar resources in the world, Queensland is home to innovative research into solar storage and new technologies enabling energy system integration. Explore the interactive power generation map to find out where Queensland’s renewable generating facilities are, and how they contribute to our energy mix.

Led by the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, the Queensland Government has set a target for one million rooftops or 3000 megawatts of solar photovoltaics (PV) in Queensland by 2020 and is developing a credible pathway to achieving 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.

The Queensland Government’s Department of State Development is leading Australia’s bio-economic revolution through the Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan. The Plan includes: the establishment of Biofutures Queensland, a dedicated unit in the Queensland Government; a Biofutures Industry Development Fund; a Biofutures Scale-Up Program; and a Biofutures Acceleration Program. The State Government’s investment in a range of initiatives is helping position Queensland as an Asia-Pacific hub for biofutures industries.

Queensland has nine universities including three of Australia's largest, a number of which undertake energy research. Details of 200 plus research centres in Queensland are available by searching the Queensland science capability directory.

Leading energy research

Find out why top researchers and industry leaders are saying Queensland is one of the best places in the world for energy research.

Video transcript

Transcript

Queensland Science ENERGY making a difference video

Professor Chris Greig

Director, Dow Centre

The University of Queensland

Supplying reliable affordable energy that is also sustainable is about the greatest challenge that our society faces for generations.

[Caption: Queensland Science…ENERGY…making a difference]

We have people who are working actively on new discoveries that will transform the energy system.

Things like making solar and bioenergy more scalable and more affordable.

Doing it in the lab is one thing connecting it to large scale demonstrations – that’s, that’s how we really make an impact.

[Caption: Transforming our energy system]

We’re working on energy storage which is the missing link in intermittent renewables and how they fit into the energy system.

Professor Ian O’Hara

Principal Research Fellow, Science and Engineering Faculty

QUT

It’s critically important that we do transition to a low carbon energy future and using agricultural waste will help us to achieve that.

[Caption: Powering the future]

We work at QUT here on a range of technologies looking at things like biofuels, things like ethanol or advanced drop in fuels.

We built the Mackay Pilot plant which is the only plant of its kind in Australia to do that – to work with industry partners to develop and demonstrate the technologies.

Professor Chris Greig

Director, Dow Centre

The University of Queensland

We’re going to have at least some coal and some natural gas in the economy for many decades to come.

So we have people looking at traditional energy systems to work on their efficiencies.

Dr Hua Guo

Research Director, Energy

CSIRO

Coal will remain a major source of energy for foreseeable future.

My team have developed an automated system. The major benefits is improved mining safety. And also improved productivity and mining efficiency.

It’s unique technology was developed in Queensland adopted in USA, and recently have been successfully demonstrated in China.

David Smales

CEO

Energy Queensland

The electricity supply industry is changing rapidly.

Science underpins that change and the transformation of the industry. At Energy Queensland we’re using lots of new technologies

[Caption: Partnering for success]

We’re getting lots of interest internationally

Aiden Roberts

Senior Future Technology Implementation Engineer

Energex

Solar PV system and a battery energy storage system has been integrated with a distribution management system.

I think this is a challenge that we happen to be leading the world in. We partner with Queensland universities at all levels to help us solve the challenges that we face today.

David Smales

CEO

Energy Queensland

Queensland science is making a difference to what we do.

Ian O’Hara

Queensland science

Aiden Roberts

Making a difference

[Caption: Come join us]

[Logo: ADVANCE Queensland Jobs now, jobs for the future]

[Caption: Queensland Science Making a difference]

www.science.qld.gov.au

[Logo: Queensland Government]

View Energy video with Chinese subtitles

Energy research centres

Key research collaborations between industry and leading universities are focused on developing alternative energy sources such as biofuels and biogas and related new technologies. More than 75 institutes, facilities, precincts, laboratories and other research organisations are involved in the energy science sector including: