Researchers at The University of Western Australia will investigate the use of geothermal energy to desalinate groundwater in WA.

UWA PhD student, Alexander Christ,  is working with The West Australian Geothermal Centre of Excellence (WAGCoE) and the National Centre of Excellence in Desalination (NCED) to design a new desalination system.

The University of Western Australia today hosted a delegation of Ambassadors to the United Nations and the visit of more than 30 senior Government officials from across Africa to showcase its energy and minerals research, including in geothermal energy.

Associate Professor Florian Fusseis has returned to UWA after a trip to northern Europe to discuss developments in geothermal power.

Researchers from The University of Western Australia will benefit from $47.3 million inFederal Governmentfunding for the development of solar and geothermal technologies to support Australia's bid to host the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope.

A researcher from The University of Western Australia has won the inaugural Sustainable Energy Industry Excellence and Innovation Ambassador Award for 2010.

A new research centre dedicated to developing technologies designed to help establish sustainable, low-emission, geothermal cities, was launched in Perth today by the Western Australian Minister for Mines and Petroleum, the Hon Norman Moore.

The Western Australian Geothermal Centre of Excellence (WAGCOE) is a joint venture between The University of Western Australia and CSIRO, in conjunction with Curtin University of Technology, and supported by the WA State Government.

By Klaus Regenauer-Lieb

It’s been a fantastic few months since the WA Geothermal Centre of Excellence partners came together to push the button on start-up. We’ve been planning the Centre’s projects, strategy and focus for some time now and I’m happy to report that we’ve been making some real progress towards our goals.

A 2009 report suggested that more than 17,000 jobs could be created in the geothermal energy industry by 2050.

The geothermal industry, which involves extracting heat stored in the earth to generate power, is growing in Australia with almost 400 tenements for projects and around $1.5 billion in projects under way.

The State Government has opened a second geothermal acreage release for 2009 following the earlier high level of bidding for exploration rights in the Perth and Carnarvon basins.