Renewable energy technology adoption in the Australian mining industry

Speaker:  Dr Alice Strazzabosco, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

Abstract:  The need to decarbonise mining operations has urged mining houses to look at renewable energy technologies as an alternative to diesel and gas energy generators. However, despite the interest of the mining industry to transition to renewable energy technologies and the significant impact that this transition would have on the Australian decarbonising effort, the adoption of renewable energy technologies at mine sites comes with numerous challenges. Understanding where the industry is at in its decarbonising agenda is therefore the first step to propose targeted solutions to overcome these challenges and accelerate the transition toward sustainable mining. Therefore, this presentation aims to provide a through picture of the current status of renewable energy technology adoption in the Australian mining industry and to show how renewable energy generation has evolved over time in this sector.

Bio:  Dr Alice Strazzabosco is an engineer and early career researcher with ten years of experience in both academia and the private sector. She has recently finalised her PhD doctorate, which focuses on the integration of renewable energy technologies in the water industry. She is currently working as a researcher at QUT, where she is investigating energy pathways to decarbonising the Australian mining industry. Alice's professional interest focus on the dynamics influencing the uptake of maturing and emerging renewable energy technologies, and in the collaboration opportunities between high energy-intensive industries and the energy sector through alternative and complementary energy management strategies.