The Centre structure and governance
Leadership and administration
Director: Dr Alex Klimenko, FCI, D.Eng.
Deputy Director: Dr Yuanshen Lu
Event Coordinator: Dr Travis Mitchel
Equipment Coordinator: Dr Zhongwei Chen
Communication Officer: Dr Jeffrey Venezuela
Main research directions
Hydrogen embrittlement
Research Leader: Prof Andrej Atrens
Molecular modelling and hydrogen separation
Research Leader: Prof Suresh Bhatia
Geological storage of energy
Research Leader: Dr Zhongwei Chen
Power-generation cycles
Research Leader: Prof Hal Gurgenci
Electrochemical energy systems
Research Leader: Dr Ruth Knibbe
Natural gas and transition to hydrogen
Research Leader: Dr Christopher Leonardi
Leadership Board
Directors, Research Leaders and all members of the professorial rank form the Leadership Board of the Centre.
Industrial Forum
On industry-related issues, the Centre is advised by its Industrial Forum that is comprised of the administration group and four external members affiliated with energy-related industries:
- Bruce Leslie (Vastsolar, solar-thermal generation and heat storage)
- Prashant Parulekar (Aurecon, gas production and distribution, power generation)
- Paul Chaperon (Synergy, reforming conventional power plants)
- Lauren Stafford (First Mode, technological changes, renewables)
Seminars and Annual Awards
The Centre runs regular seminars and, on important occasions, invites distinguished leaders and scholars to present Bremhorst lectures, named after Professor Klaus Bremhorst, AM.
The Centre also provides Excellence awards for a research student and early career staff members each year.
The Centre’s Past, Present and Future
The Centre was founded back in 2008 under the name Queensland Geothermal Energy Centre and received substantial funding from the State and Commonwealth governments and excelled in researching geothermal and solar-thermal power generation. With the increasingly involvement in the broader renewable power sector and energy policy the Centre was renamed first to the Renewable Energy Conversion Centre of Excellence and subsequently to Energy Futures.
The current interests of the Centre, have shifted towards the energy transition with a particular focus on hydrogen production and use, while retaining a broad spectrum of other energy-related interests. The Centre has grown in the scope of its research and its size, reaching 50 members. Moving forwards, the Centre seeks to play a key role in the emerging energy transition in Queensland.