Advanced Energy Technology platform

The world needs to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to limit the impact of global warming. New Zealand has set itself a challenging target, to be net carbon-zero by 2050. Not counting agriculture, transportation is the largest source of our greenhouse gas emissions. Our tourism sector depends on flying; while our exports depend on shipping. To stop using fossil fuels, we need to start using electricity. Fortunately New Zealand has an advantage – over 80% of our energy is generated from renewable sources, and we have plenty of scope to increase it to 100% using wind, solar, and geothermal. 

The biggest technological challenge is to electrify aviation, followed by heavy transport: rail, shipping, and heavy trucks. Electric planes are still in their infancy. But superconducting machines offer 2 advantages for electric aircraft: they are small and light, relative to their power output. New Zealand has been working on superconductors since the 1980s, and NZ is home to some of the world’s leading superconductivity researchers. They have already been working with Airbus and Boeing on superconducting aircraft. In this programme, they will be working with NZ’s leading researchers in power electronics.

The research in this programme looks at how to make superconducting machines for aircraft. We will prove our technologies first for rail, shipping, and trucks, because they are easier targets – weight and size are much less critical. Our research is globally relevant, and we will be working with excellent researchers from around the world, from Cambridge to KAIST and Kyoto. We have some big international names behind us, including Airbus, Boeing, Hypertech, WiTricity, and Kalsi Green Power Systems. We will develop a cohort of engineers to take these new technologies forward, including mentoring young Māori researchers into high-flying careers.

In 2022/2023, our multidisciplinary multi-institutional team made progress within our MBIE-funded strategic science investment platform "High power electric motors for large-scale transport. Our technical goal is to demonstrate a compact, lightweight superconducting motor. This will boost industry acceptance while accelerating the transition to low-emission solutions in electrified heavy transport.

We completed the build and tested several prototypes and subsystems, including:

• a smaller superconducting prototype motor, a new cryocooler and smaller and lighter power electronics driving system.
• concepts and models for a novel cryogenic cooling system and next generation superconducting motors, which we will progressively test and build throughout our programme.
• testing of commercial and in-house developed power electronics devices and materials at cryogenic temperatures, and novel additively-manufactured heat exchangers making the total system more efficient and lighter in the future.
• completed the first stage in the build of a world-leading facility to characterise losses in superconducting coils.

In July 2023, we hit a significant milestone by successfully powering up our superconducting AC homopolar motor for the first time, also utilizing our own power electronic driving circuit, at up to 18,000 rpm in generator mode and 2300 rpm in motor mode. This is our first demonstrator to prove and test superconducting technologies for powering large electric aircraft.

In a significant step, Air New Zealand announced us as a strategic partner in their “Flight Zero” program, to accelerate the development and introduction of zero-emissions aircraft technology in New Zealand. This will further broaden our reach and impact.

Our programme places a strong emphasis on developing New Zealand-based capability for future electric heavy transport systems. Apart from training PhD, master’s and undergraduate students and researchers, we awarded scholarships and placed multiple Te Pūkenga Polytech students, including Māori and Pasifika students, in summer internships with NZ industry partners.

For more details, visit www.electrictransport.co.nz(external link).

Our vision for the MBIE-funded strategic science investment platform "High power electric motors for large-scale transport" is to develop a national research platform to solve critical New Zealand problems and ensure our country's continued science and innovation competence.

In 2021/2022, we made progress in four independent but interconnected workstreams. This is essential for us to achieve our technical goal of developing and demonstrating a compact, lightweight superconducting motor. This motor will boost industry acceptance of our technology while accelerate the transition to low-emission solutions in electrified heavy transport. Apart from developing novel concepts and approaches for the motor itself, we completed the first full technical motor design and build and tested several subsystems. Integral part of this work was simulation, built and test of power electronics devices and materials at cryogenic temperatures as well as novel cryocoolers and heat exchangers. As a result, the total system will be more efficient and lighter in the future.

We significantly expanded our network and collaboration with national and international researchers, industry and government stakeholders and other end-users. This will further broaden our reach and impact. We published over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and made over 20 oral and poster presentations at national and international conferences.

Our programme places a strong emphasis on developing New Zealand-based capacity for future heavy electric transport systems. Throughout the educational system, we increased capability and awareness.

Apart from training PhD, master’s and undergraduate students and researchers in the different research areas, we placed several Polytech students in summer internships with NZ industry partners. We continued our successful Tech Bootcamp focusing on Māori and Pasifika year 12 and 13 high school students to help increasing diversity in NZ future research workforce.

For more information:

• Visit www.electrictransport.co.nz(external link)
• Read more about High power electric motors for large-scale transport(external link) — Victoria University of Wellington

Our vision is to create a new Adaptive Digital Twin energy-technology platform (Ahuora), underpinned by the next-generation of energy systems science, that will be accessible to engineering researchers, service providers and industrial site-owners and is essential to decarbonise the process heat sector. This sector contributes 28% of NZ’s energy emissions but represents arguably the most complex and challenging of the energy sectors to decarbonise by 2050, as legislated by the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Act 2019.

Research over the past several decades has shown that decarbonisation of the process heat sector cannot be solved sustainably by a single 'silver bullet' energy technology; rather, it demands a range of technologies integrated with an industrial site to form a unified energy system utilising renewable energy. Developing effective solutions involves knowing when, where and how to apply the numerous emerging and mature energy technologies in the most synergistic way, while having a minimum adverse effect on production and managing energy supply and demand volatilities.

A net-zero-carbon process heat sector will require highly integrated, productive and efficient systems that encompass both the industrial site as well as neighbouring industries, renewable resources and communities.

Our team of Waikato, Auckland and Massey University researchers will deliver the energy systems technology and build the Ahuora platform to assist in re-engineering the way we use, convert, provision and store energy for process heat using a smart systems approach. This engineering research programme will transform the underpinning energy systems science, embed the new technology in an advanced digital platform, and produce world-class engineering leaders in energy systems.

The new platform’s name, Ahuora, gifted by Associate Professor Te Taka Keegan of the University of Waikato, combines the Māori words: ‘ahu’ meaning ‘to fashion’ and ‘ora’ meaning ‘healthy’, and represents our goal – sustainable industry for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Enabling New Zealand industry to decarbonise process heat supply is the principal goal of the Ahuora project. Process heat accounts for 28% of NZ’s energy related carbon emissions. The Ahuora Centre for Smart Energy Systems is developing an open source web based Adaptive Energy Digital Twin (ADT) platform comprising a suite of tools that can be used by New Zealand industry to improve plant energy efficiency, accelerate adoption of high temperature heat pumps, and enable fuel switching to local renewable energy sources like green electricity and sustainably harvested biomass. The Ahuora platform will link to the IDAES open source platform to access advanced computational algorithms for the design and optimization of complex, energy and process systems.

The last 12 months has seen the team produce 34 research papers, 9 in journals and 25 at conferences. 29 postgraduate researchers (5 Masters completed, 6 Masters and 18 PhD ongoing) and 25 undergraduate students (summer interns and BE(Hons) capstone project students) have been working across the three collaborating institutions of Uinversity of Waikato, University of Auckland and Massey University. Four industry case studies are ongoing with PhD students closely involved. Vision Mātuaranga activities have continued with the active participation of Kāhui members. The external advisory board has also met twice to review the work programme and give feedback about directions and priorities. Significant in kind donations are coming from New Zealand industry through staff time and investment in equipment to aid in plant data collection. Domestic collaboration is active with regular Research Aim meetings via Zoom, and international collaboration is well underway with five signed MOU’s and multiple in-person visits occurring in the US and Europe.

Contact: Michael Walmsley, Email: m.walmsley@waikato.ac.nz, Mobile: +64275734293

The Ahuora Centre for Smart Energy Systems is working to develop an open source Adaptive Energy Digital Twin (ADT) platform comprising a suite of tools that can be used by New Zealand industry to help decarbonise their process heat. These tools help industry to identify energy efficiency opportunities, adopt new energy technologies like high temperature heat pumps, and switch from fossil fuels to local renewable energy sources. As there are many possibilities for process heat decarbonisation, identifying the optimal transition pathway can be difficult. The Ahuora platform offers the potential for rapid screening and optimisation of options followed by optimised design and operations. This is important since industrial process heat accounts for 28% of NZ’s energy related carbon emissions.

Over 20 research papers have been produced in 2021/22 with the help of 18 postgrad researchers (four Masters completed, five Masters and nine PhD ongoing) and 21 BE(Hons) capstone honours projects  working across the three collaborating domestic institutions (UOW, UOA and Massey). The simulation core of the Ahuora ADT platform is under development with the appointment of a full-time software developer and through adoption and customisation of the open source Chemical Process Simulator package DWSIM. Three industry case studies have also commenced with PhD students closely involved. Vision Mātuaranga activities have moved forward with the establishment of a Kāhui Māori consisting of six inaugural members. The external advisory board have met twice to review the work programme and give useful feedback about directions and priorities. A transcritical CO2 Heat Pump ($28,000 original value) with technician support ($12,000 in-kind) has been donated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Domestic collaboration is active with regular Research Aim meetings via Zoom, and international collaboration is developing with four signed MOU’s and in-person visits scheduled in the second half of 2022. 

For more information:

• Contact Michael Walmsley, mobile:+64-275734293, m.walmsley@waikato.ac.nz
• Visit Ahuora - Centre for Smart Energy Systems(external link) — University of Waikato

The world is facing a climate crisis. If we do not quickly adapt how we produce, use, transport and manage energy, we and our children will face dire consequences. Changes have begun worldwide: increased renewable and sustainable electricity generation, uptake of electric vehicles, and electrification of industrial processes. All these reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. But it is not enough. We must implement new initiatives to drastically address climate change.

The electrical grid which enables our modern way of life was conceived more than 100 years ago. The industrial and consumer loads and generator technologies of the past were all based on alternating current (AC), leading to today’s AC electrical network. However, new generation technologies like solar and wind power, as well as electric vehicles and battery storage all use direct current (DC). Our appliances, computers, smartphones, heat-pumps and more, as well as common industrial loads are also mostly DC based. Because of this, many converters are needed to interface generation and loads to the AC grid, creating inefficiency and causing compatibility problems.

Conveying electrical power by DC reduces losses and lessens voltage drop. A part transition of our electrical grid to DC has many technological benefits, including more flexible and efficient systems for generation, conveyance, storage and use, as well as easier integration of renewable generation and technologies such as electric vehicles and battery storage.

The changes required to address the climate crisis will make an AC/DC hybrid grid inevitable. This is no simple task; the electrical grid is humanity’s largest 'machine'. Our team comprises of researchers from the Universities of Canterbury, Auckland, AUT, Victoria, Waikato and dozens of overseas collaborators. Together, we will tackle some key challenges of the future grid and build technical capability across our whole system, ultimately benefitting every New Zealander.

Electricity and electrification are seen as the significant enablers for decarbonisation of our nation. The Future Architecture of the Network (FAN) | Te Whatunga Hiko programme aspires to meet the challenges the electrical power system will face as we journey towards sustainable decarbonisation. 

Our vision is to provide an infrastructure paradigm through a hybrid AC/DC transmission and distribution system that meets the needs of tomorrow’s efficient, low-carbon, reliable and resilient electrical power system.

With a brief unconstrained by the present technical and economic limitations, and a horizon of 2050 and beyond, the programme is ambitious in its goals to deliver significant knowledge and capability development; transition pathways; new technologies; and input into design processes, standards and regulations.

The last 12 months of the Programme have been focused on

• Strengthening and growing our collaborations with collaborators
• Growing our team of researchers, including research fellows and postgraduate students
• Engaging with the community, particularly with relation to our Vision Mātauranga programme

As we enter the third year of this 7-year programme, we have gained significant momentum, with 3 keynote addresses and 28 papers published or in review this last year.

The value of the Programme is becoming evident with the heightened global interest in decarbonisation and sustainability. With the rapidly changing global energy balance the importance of hybrid AC/DC transmission and distribution systems is greater than ever.

The team delivering this vision comprises of 9 New Zealand-based experts (Universities of Canterbury, Auckland, Victoria, Waikato and Auckland University of Technology) and 2 overseas contributors (University of Cambridge), along with 3 post-doctoral fellows, 14 PhD candidates and 4 Masters students.  Undergraduate students are also contributing to the project through final year projects and summer projects.

For more information:

• Visit www.fan.ac.nz(external link) or
• email futurearchitecturenetwork@canterbury.ac.nz

Electricity and electrification are seen as the significant enablers for decarbonisation of our nation. The Future Architecture of the Network (FAN) | Te Whatunga Hiko programme aspires to meet the challenges the electrical power system will face as we journey towards sustainable decarbonisation. 

The programme’s vision is to provide an infrastructure paradigm through a hybrid AC/DC transmission and distribution system, that meets the needs of tomorrow’s efficient, low-carbon, reliable and resilient electrical power system.

With a brief unconstrained by the present technical and economic limitations, and a horizon of 2050 and beyond, the programme is ambitious in its goals to deliver significant knowledge and capability development; transition pathways; new technologies; and input into design processes, standards and regulations.

The last 12 months of the Programme have focused on

• Strengthening and growing our collaborations with national and international collaborators
• Growing our team of researchers, including research fellows, postgraduate and undergraduate students
• Engaging with the community, particularly with relation to our Vision Mātauranga programme
• Gathering research momentum in the four technical workstreams.

21 months into this 7-year programme, the Programme is beginning to publish and share research and is gaining international attention with 4 keynote talks and 9 publications this year.

The value of the Programme is becoming more evident with the heightened global interest in decarbonisation and sustainability and all the technologies associated with meeting these goals. With the rapidly changing global energy balance the importance of hybrid AC/DC transmission and distribution systems is greater than ever.

The team delivering this vision comprises of 10 New Zealand-based experts (Universities of Canterbury, Auckland, Victoria, Waikato and Auckland University of Technology) and of 2 overseas contributors (University of Cambridge), along with 4 post-doctoral fellow, 6 PhD candidates, 3 Masters students and undergraduate students. 

For more information:

• Contact Neville Watson on +6433694542 
• Visit www.fan.ac.nz(external link) 

New Zealand’s ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050 requires a progressive phasing out of fossil fuel use in the energy sector. Our Platform aims to deliver transformative technologies that lead to a globally connected ‘green hydrogen’ economy in Aotearoa New Zealand, whereby cleanly produced hydrogen replaces fossil fuels for electricity generation and transportation. This will facilitate NZ’s transition towards 100% renewable energy. Our smaller-scale green hydrogen applications will capture benefits from global R&D advances, while delivering solutions that meet NZ’s needs for distributed generation and storage, and a diversified energy portfolio.

Successful implementation of this Platform’s research outcomes will ultimately enable NZ to shift from being an importer of fossil fuel to becoming an exporter of:

• green-hydrogen technologies
• green-hydrogen as a commodity to countries like Japan and South Korea, who aim to decarbonise their energy sectors.

Our research focusses on new, globally transformative green hydrogen generation technologies by tackling significant technological challenges. Our main target is to generate hydrogen-producing technologies that do not depend on high-purity water sources and produce hydrogen directly from sunlight. 

Our Platform aims to create next-generation knowledge-intensive opportunities for New Zealanders. We will develop NZ innovation capability by connecting research and education providers with industry. Connectivity Grants and Innovation Placements will facilitate flexible student movement between research and industry. Experienced researchers will mentor early-career researchers and post-graduate students in becoming scientists, engineers, and technicians in new industries. The ultimate outcome will be new green hydrogen producing industries that employ homegrown engineers and scientists, underpinning New Zealand’s distributed green hydrogen economy and export.

The effects of a warming climate are being felt around the world and the need to reduce our carbon emissions is becoming more and more urgent. To eliminate our reliance on carbon intensive fossil fuels, we need to transition to zero-carbon fuels and energy carriers to store renewable energy. This Platform is working towards transformative Green Hydrogen technologies that will allow Aotearoa to transition to 100% renewable energy and even produce and store surplus energy for export.

Our research focuses on new and innovative ways to produce Green Hydrogen that do not require high-purity water and can produce hydrogen directly from sunlight. These technologies will allow for widespread Green Hydrogen uptake in a distributed energy system, where communities and even individuals can generate, store, and use their own energy wherever they live.

In addition to these technology advancements, this Platform is also supporting the development of the future Green Hydrogen ecosystem in Aotearoa, building community resilience, and creating high-skilled jobs for our people. The Platform team work with a wide range of researchers, businesses, and government agencies involved in the hydrogen ecosystem and provide annual updates. You can find this year’s update at the link below. Platform researchers are partnering with communities, including a Marae, to investigate and model how Green Hydrogen can support them and other communities to become more independent and resilient. The Platform is also partnering with groups around Aotearoa to provide training and education pathways including diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate scholarships in physical science, engineering, and Mātauranga Māori subjects, to build a workforce for the future. This year, the Platform was able to co-sponsor several of these scholarships through the Discovery Scholarship programme by the MacDiarmid Institute, also linked below.

Platform website: https://www.gns.cri.nz/research-projects/aotearoa-green-hydrogen-technology/(external link)

Annual ecosystem update report: https://www.gns.cri.nz/our-science/energy-futures/green-hydrogen/the-hydrogen-opportunity-ecosystem-update-2023/(external link)

Discovery scholarships: https://www.macdiarmid.ac.nz/about-us/join-us/scholarships-for-maori-and-pacific-island-students/(external link)

To meet the target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the world needs to phase out the use of fossil fuels in the energy sector. This Platform is working towards transformative technologies that will facilitate the creation of a strong green hydrogen economy here in Aotearoa New Zealand, to replace fossil fuels and facilitate our transition to 100% renewable energy. This green hydrogen economy will ultimately enable us to shift from being a net importer of fuel to becoming an exporter of both green hydrogen related technologies and green hydrogen as a commodity to other countries aiming to decarbonise but without the renewable energy resources to do so alone.

Our research focuses on new, globally transformative green hydrogen generation technologies by tackling significant technological challenges. Our main target is to generate hydrogen-producing technologies that do not depend on high-purity water sources and produce hydrogen directly from sunlight.

In addition to developing new technologies, the Platform is supporting the development of next- generation knowledge-intensive opportunities for kiwis. We are developing innovation capability by partnering with research and education providers and industry to plan a pathway to train the future hydrogen economy work force and by connecting our researchers with communities to get people excited about green hydrogen and the opportunities this future economy presents to New Zealand and New Zealanders. For example, the Platform has already recruited four postdoctoral researchers, two research assistants, a master’s student and four honours students to develop technical capability in graduates and researchers. Platform researchers are also working with Māori communities to identify how green hydrogen can support our indigenous communities in becoming more independent and resilient with their energy while reducing their carbon emissions.

Platform videos about green hydrogen and Aotearoa New Zealand’s zero carbon future:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UPL2EC8mBo&t=395s&ab_channel=HauwaiKakariki(external link)
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOn54nKRypw&ab_channel=GNSScience(external link)
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOn2HcvsCqQ&t=55s&ab_channel=GNSScience(external link)

For more information:

• Contact Dr John Kennedy (j.kennedy@gns.cri.nz)
• Visit https://www.gns.cri.nz/research-projects/aotearoa-green-hydrogen-technology/(external link)