2026 Curtin Energy Research Showcase

Navigating the maximum economic recovery (MER) of decommissioning
Dr Oluwoye’s work spans the multidisciplinary fields of industrial processes and natural environments, including chemical process kinetics and the fate of contaminants in biogeochemical systems. He led a flagship project under the National Decommissioning Research Initiative (NDRI) on polymer degradation and lifespan prediction in subsea environments. At Curtin, he also leads projects on the recycling of end-of-life subsea assets, the development of offshore materials databases, and the assessment of contaminants and micropollutants associated with subsea infrastructure. [Please note, Ibukun’s slides are not available to download]

Effective stakeholder engagement – building the case
Fran has a background in management science and operational research and has employed this experience to investigate key issues in the energy transition. She works in the area of capture, structuring, and analysis of stakeholder knowledge and expertise, and is particularly interested in these in the context of energy projects.

Photogrammetric 3D reconstruction of a subsea wellhead from archived ROV video
Daniel Adams is a Research Officer at Curtin University’s HIVE (Hub for Immersive Visualisation and eResearch), specialising in high-performance computing (HPC) and subsea photogrammetric 3D reconstruction (P3DR) processing for underwater cultural heritage (UCH) sites surveyed worldwide. He is the lead developer in an ongoing collaboration to build a digital 3D reconstruction of the wreck of the German battleship Bismarck using documentary footage captured during James Cameron’s 2002 expedition.

Green metals processing and sustainable waste processing
Professor Ludovic F. Dumée is a researcher and technology innovator at Curtin University specialising in advanced separation processes, membrane technologies, resource recovery and circular materials. Ludo is a Professor of Practice and Researcher in Residence at Victory Metals, supporting the development and translation of innovative technologies for critical mineral processing and recovery.
[Please note, Ludo’s slides are not available to download]

From batteries to critical minerals: Greener leaching for a circular energy future
Dr Jane Beh is a Senior Research Fellow at Curtin WASM with extensive expertise in chemical engineering and critical minerals processing. She holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of New South Wales (2013) and has over 14 years of experience in high-pressure chemical processing, supercritical fluid technologies and process intensification.

Sustainable hydrometallurgy for metal recovery from e-waste, batteries and solar panels
Dr Huan Li is an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow at Curtin University’s Western Australian School of Mines. He received his PhD in Mining and Metallurgical Engineering from Curtin University in 2021, followed by three years of postdoctoral training in Australia and two years as a Professor in China. His research focuses on sustainable extractive metallurgy for the recovery of base, precious, and critical metals from primary mineral resources and end-of-life products.
[Please note, Huan’s slides are not available to download]

Adaptable and sustainable infrastructure for the energy transition
Xihong works as an Associate Professor at the Centre for Infrastructural Monitoring and Protection. He is an internationally renowned young scholar who devises protection of built structures against natural and man-made hazards, and develops advanced construction materials.

Utilising low-cost, sustainable clay to reduce carbon footprint
Dr Lisha Dong is a Research Fellow in the Rock Mechanics Group at the Western Australian School of Mines (WASM), Kalgoorlie Campus, Curtin University. Her interdisciplinary research spans mineral processing, chemical engineering and technology, solid waste resource utilisation, and ground support for mining applications.

Sustainable biofuels and biomass valorisation
Dr Sufia Hena researches sustainable biofuels, biomass valorisation and fermentation technology. Her work focuses on biodiesel and bioethanol production from microalgae and macroalgae, including bioethanol production from beach-cast Ecklonia radiata. She has received competitive research funding for microalgal CO₂ biofixation and bioethanol production and has extensive experience in developing sustainable biomass-to-fuel technologies.

Supportive measures to enable biofuel development in Australia
Julian is a senior research fellow at CIET. He has worked in the field of resource management and conservation for the past 25 years at leading universities in the UK and Australia. His research has encompassed management of marine and terrestrial natural resources in Australia, South-east Asia, the Indian Ocean and Latin America with a focus on identifying how local communities and owners can participate fairly and equitably in these processes.

Biodiesel exhaust toxicity: Some are “better” than others
Alexander Larcombe is an Associate Professor in the School of Population Health, Curtin University and Honorary Head of the Respiratory Environmental Health Team at The Kids Research Institute Australia. His research is targeted at increasing our understanding of how environmental factors impact lung growth, development and function. In recent years, his work has primarily focussed on electronic cigarettes, biodiesel exhaust and the effects of climate change on respiratory health.

Smart industrial demand: Using optimisation to respond to electricity prices and renewable energy
Associate Professor Elham Mardaneh is an operations research specialist at the Curtin Centre for Optimisation and Decision Science. Her research focuses on applying mathematical optimisation and quantitative methods to enhance complex industrial systems and support data-driven decision-making. She develops optimisation models for scheduling and logistics, with applications in the energy, mining, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors.

AI-enhanced microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) prediction
Dr Silvia Salgar is a Research Fellow at the Curtin Corrosion Centre. Her research focuses on microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), molecular biology, and microbial ecology in industrial environments. Silvia leads research on MIC, with particular interest in understanding how environmental and operational conditions influence MIC processes and their impact on carbon and low-alloy steels.

Modelling and managing precinct energy use with digital twins
Dr Himanshu Agrawal serves as a Senior Lecturer at School of Electrical Engineering, Computing, and Mathematical Science, Curtin University specialising in networking and security. He earned his PhD from RMIT University, and has focused his career dedicated to advancing knowledge in networking, Internet of Things (IoT), applied AI/ML, Simulation and Modelling and Privacy Preservation.

Greenwashing in net zero claims
Angelina is a PhD candidate at Curtin University whose area of research is focused on examining the ways in which integrity can be enabled in the net zero commitments, actions and plans by non-state actors. The PhD is funded by CRC RACE for 2030 as part of the Pathways to Net Zero Precincts project. Angelina has extensive experience working in a large Australian corporate in the areas of sustainability, corporate tax and governance, and is currently a Director in the EY Global Tax Center of Excellence – Sustainability where her areas of focus are anti-greenwashing and carbon pricing mechanisms in Asia-Pacific.
[Please note, Angelina’s slides are not available to download]

ESG, carbon and natural capital accounting
Harj is an accounting and sustainability researcher focused on how organisations can better measure, report and demonstrate their environmental performance. His expertise includes natural capital accounting, carbon and sustainability reporting, governance and assurance. He is particularly interested in how accounting can support the energy transition by developing credible metrics and reporting systems that enable businesses to quantify their environmental and emissions footprints, track decarbonisation progress, and demonstrate outcomes.

The myths and realities of sustainability in apartments: A case of greenwashing?
Dr Keegan Robertson is a Research Fellow in the Curtin Institute for Energy Transition and the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, where he recently completed his PhD in Economics. His work examines the economic and political dimensions of climate change, with a focus on the energy transition, greenwashing, and public policy.
[Please note, Keegan’s slides are not available to download]

Shaping the energy transition: Digital media discourse and public engagement in regional Australia
Professor Mingming Cheng is Professor in Digital Marketing and Director of the Social Media Research Lab at the School of Management and Marketing, Curtin University. He is an award-winning researcher and educator with an international reputation in social media analytics and tourism.

Stakeholder perceptions and support for hydrogen and ammonia energy projects
Nehemia Gurusinga is a PhD student at the Curtin Institute for Energy Transition. Nehemia advocates for low-carbon practices by employing the formulation of diffusion of innovation in intervention strategies through a multidisciplinary approach, emphasizing community engagement and education.
[Please note, Nehemia’s slides are not available to download]

Value and perceptions of Virtual Power Plants in Western Australia
Maureen Boyle has 20 years of interdisciplinary experience in the energy and development sectors nationally and internationally, with extensive experience collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders across Australia’s energy sector. Her career includes roles in government policy (state and federal), the renewable energy industry, and the not-for-profit sector.