Dr Chiara Fois, Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Sydney, has commenced her three-month Research Fellowship within the CSIRO International Hydrogen Research Collaboration Program at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Energy Research Institute (ERI@N) in Singapore.
Dr Fois completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering at the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the University of Sydney, and is now a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the School of Chemistry Kepert’s Group, the University of Sydney, funded by a collaborative industry-university Cooperative Research Project between Rux Energy Pty Ltd and the University of Sydney. In her role, Dr Fois focuses on scale-up manufacturing of the company’s patented nanoporous materials. The Fellowship Program at NTU is jointly funded and supported by the University of Sydney, Rux Energy, and CSIRO’s Hydrogen Industry Mission International Collaboration Program, sponsored by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Dr Fois will collaborate with the research team led by Professor Alessandro Romagnoli, the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and ERI@N at NTU. Prof Romagnoli is Assistant Dean for Innovation and Enterprise at Nanyang Technological University, focusing on technology translation and collaboration with Industry. He is Co-Director of the NTU-Surbana Jurong Corporate Lab, a S$60M effort looking at Intelligent Urban Solutions, Active Solutions for Sustainability, and Future of Construction and Underground and Cluster Director on Multi-Energy Systems and Grids at the Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University.
The project at NTU, a world-class research institution, will accelerate the uptake of the strategically important Australian technology developed by Rux and the University of Sydney. The project will investigate the requirements of the maritime sector in Singapore, as overseen by the Maritime Port Authority. It will explore how the uptake of Rux Energy’s low-cost, high-efficiency nanoporous materials for hydrogen storage compares with other alternatives, such as different Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) and liquid or compressed hydrogen.
The project is a strategic opportunity for Australia to dovetail its technologies with those being developed in Singapore to achieve mutual export ambitions for hydrogen, from Australia to Singapore. This is also the core objective of the International Hydrogen Research Collaboration Program, which intends to initiate and strengthen national and international research and industry partnerships, build clean hydrogen export pathways, and advance low-emission technology development within Australia to add value and reduce costs in all stages of the hydrogen value chain.
Chiara is an invaluable member and leader of the Kepert-Rux research collaboration. Rux has supported her in planning a project and placement in Singapore, which will offer professional development and strengthen these new research collaborations, aligned to Australia’s Green Economy Agreement with Singapore and Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy.
The research and manufacturing teams at the University of Sydney and Rux Energy will liaise closely with Chiara during her time in Singapore. It is anticipated that the outcomes of the International Hydrogen Research Collaboration Program will enhance the work being done in Sydney and will have a lasting impact, with continued activities extending beyond the fellowship period.
