A research centre focusing on energy and resources opened on 15 July in Newcastle, New South Wales.
The Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources will act as a hub for innovative research into the development of clean energy sources.
The AU$42.2 million project is supported by AU$30m in government funding through the Education Investment Fund.
NIER is located at the former BHP-Billiton Newcastle Research Laboratories. The refurbished site includes 20 laboratories and five industrial-scale pilot-plant workshops. Construction work on a new research building is also reportedly under way.
The institute will accommodate about 300 research staff who are expected to bring their expertise and insights to the task of creating a new generation of energy production and distribution systems.
“Better managing consumption of energy and water, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing new energy sources are at the heart of the government’s plan for Australia’s clean energy future and the NIER will significantly contribute to achieving these objectives,” said Martin Ferguson, Australia’s resources and energy minister, in a statement.