UNSW's Engineering the Future

Finding a pathway to replace fossil fuels in big industries


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Using renewable energy such as wind and solar to create environmentally friendly electricity is great - but what can we do to replace the use of fossil fuels in industrial sectors that can't easily be electrified? 


This can include heavy manufacturing, aviation, maritime transport, and chemical production. These industries need high-density energy or specialised fuels and processes that electricity alone cannot provide efficiently. 


That's where green fuels come in. In this episode of Engineering the Future, UNSW lecturer Dr Emma Lovell and industry expert Constantine Tsounis, join STEMM journalist Neil Martin to explain how they are made and why they are so important. 


They discuss the process of turning renewable resources into biofuels, green hydrogen, biogas, and synthetic fuels to help drive the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions - making decarbonisation possible for even the hardest-to-abate sectors. 


For the full transcript of the episode and to learn more about our speakers, visit our ⁠website.


Read more of our stories on Green Fuels:  

  • What is sustainable aviation fuel, and why are we not using it already? 

  • UNSW researchers to scale up development of clean aviation fuel thanks to $1.2m TRaCE award 

  • Roadblocks still abound en route to decarbonisation of Australia’s freight industry 

  • A carbon levy on global shipping promises to slash emissions. We calculated what that means for Australia’s biggest export 

  • Scientists use AI to make green ammonia even greener 


Don’t miss out on more conversations about the technologies shaping our world. Subscribe to Engineering the Future on your favourite podcast platform and follow us on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠BlueSky⁠ to stay up to date with the latest research and news from ⁠⁠UNSW Engineering⁠⁠.  


Acknowledgement of Country 

We would like to show our respects and acknowledge the Bedegal people who are the Traditional Custodians of the Land on which our Kensington campus is situated on, and to Elders past and present. 

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UNSW's Engineering the FutureBy UNSW Engineering