Wind turbines have become a popular source of renewable energy.
Professor Stefan Iglauer (centre) with two of his engineering students.
The world is transitioning to more sustainable ways of producing energy. But there's still a lot to investigate. One possible future clean energy source is hydrogen, but we need to work out how to store large volumes of it.
That's where we need an engineer to help us solve the challenge.
Enter Professor Stefan Iglauer. Stefan and his team, based at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, are investigating ways to store hydrogen underground or in geological formations – this is called geo-storage.
Hydrogen has the potential to be stored as a compressed gas or a liquid. It is sometimes stored in salt caverns deep underground, but as Stefan says, we need more places to put it.
His overall message is this: "If we want to mitigate climate change and cut greenhouse gas emissions, the oil and gas industries are among the biggest culprits, but they can also make the biggest difference."
A sustainable career
Engineering is one of those fields we can't live without. It's not only a well-paid profession, but it's one that can take you all around the world.
Stefan Iglauer is a great example. He started off studying chemistry in his native Germany and since then his STEM career has taken him all over the world. Like the UK and the US, where he first became interested in studying petroleum engineering, before finally landing in Australia.
If the idea of making a difference in the world of energy transition appeals to you, one way to kick off your career is through an Engineering course in Electrical and Renewable Energy.
In this 4-year course, you'll study the generation of electrical power from a wide range of sources, with a special focus on renewable energy sources.
This includes solar, wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal, and the integration of these energy sources into hybrid energy supply and distribution networks.
Ready to make a difference?
