Minor in Sustainable Energy Engineering
If you are interested in renewable energy or responsible use of our precious resources, and engineering, then our minor in Sustainable Energy Engineering could be for you. Our programme enables you to study for a top-quality degree in Chemical and Process Engineering while giving you the knowledge to address the world’s rising energy demand. You gain a fully accredited engineering degree with a sustainability theme!
How do we achieve sustainable energy?
Sustainable Energy Engineering include renewable and existing energy sources, such as hydrogen, solar, wind, natural gas and oil. In this minor, you will learn how these resources are used to produce things like power, fertilizers, fuels, steel and cement. You’ll also learn about electricity generation and storage, whilst gaining an understanding of environmental issues, an awareness of sustainable engineering and energy stewardship. This minor will help you to create an interesting and diverse career path in the rapidly evolving global energy sector.
Students study this minor alongside the Chemical and Process Engineering specialisation and must also meet the requirements for that specialisation.
In order to obtain the minor in Energy Processing Technologies, the elective papers and major projects within the chemical engineering degree should be focused on energy processing engineering. This means the following courses must be taken:
4th year: ENCH483
In addition, either ENCH494 or ENCH495 must be taken with an approved energy technology focus.
Sustainable Energy Engineering are required to harness raw materials from the environment and process these into usable and efficient energy. This minor will give students insight into the various kinds of energy, such as hydrogen, geothermal, solar, hydropower and wind, and the ways in which these can be improved and balanced with the energy spent acquiring raw materials. Students will also learn how to identify opportunities to reduce energy demand, whether in the chemical industry or around the home.
With global needs for energy constantly rising, engineers with this background knowledge are in high-demand to meet current and future requirements without compromising future generations and supply.
Students completing our Sustainable Energy Engineering complete major design and research projects with an energy theme. These projects are guided by the research interests of our postgraduates and staff, who are working at the cutting edge of the energy sector.
Here are some examples of recent design projects our students have completed as part of the Minor in Energy Processing Technologies:
- Manufacture jet fuel from renewable feedstocks
- Produce acetone, butanol, and ethanol from biomass
- Debottleneck methanol synthesis
- Generate electricity from a hybrid geothermal and biomass process
- Treat sour gas to improve the efficiency of a refinery
- Manufacture gasoline from methanol
- Upgrade a glass melting furnace to use oxy-fuel combustion
Students completing our Minor in Sustainable Energy Engineering complete major design and research projects with an energy theme. These projects are guided by the research interests of our postgraduates and staff, who are working at the cutting edge of the energy sector.
Here are some examples of recent research topics our students have explored as part of the Minor in Energy Processing Technologies:
- Catalysis (Aaron Marshall, Alex Yip, Sean Pourazadi)
- Fischer-Tropsch (Chris Williamson, Matthew Watson)
- Fuel cells, water electrolysis and redox flow batteries (Aaron Marshall, Sean Pourazadi)
- Gasification and pyrolysis (Shusheng Pang)
- Hydrogen production (Aaron Marshall)
- Microbial fuel cells (Peter Gostomski, Aaron Marshall)
- Techno-economic analysis for renewable energy systems (Shusheng Pang)
- Sustainability analysis (LCA, exergy) (Shusheng Pang)
- Drying (Shusheng Pang)
- High temperature separations (Matthew Watson)
- Low-energy separation processes (Matt Cowan)
See our Research webpage for more information about research in Chemical and Process Engineering.
Graduates of the BE(Hons) in Chemical and Process Engineering with a minor in Sustainable Energy Engineering are able to demonstrate their sustainable energy focus to employers. They will find their skillset highly valued by employers in New Zealand and overseas, with a huge growth in the power processing industry. Students will find work in power stations, refineries, and production facilities such as chemistry and biochemistry companies.
More engineers are needed with the knowledge around environmental issues and resources, and how to resolve these issues with the constantly growing demand for energy.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Chemical and Process Engineering.
For more information
see the Course Information webpages for