Swinburne secures funding to strengthen Australia's future energy networks

Swinburne University of Technology has secured $2.2 million in funding as a leading university partner for a project to develop next-generation quantum timing technology for Australia's energy networks.

Led by QuantX Labs in partnership with Siemens and the Siemens Swinburne Energy Transition Hub, the project will develop and demonstrate an advanced quantum clock capable of maintaining electricity grid synchronisation independently of external signals. The technology aims to improve the security, reliability and resilience of Australia's energy infrastructure as we transition to renewable energy.

Professor Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Director, Siemens Swinburne Energy Transition Hub and Energy Systems Research Lead, says the project will bring together Swinburne's expertise in precision timing and quantum technologies with energy and power systems research through the Siemens Swinburne Energy Transition Hub.

“We aim to translate cutting-edge innovation into practical solutions that support renewable energy integration and strengthen the resilience of Australia's future electricity networks," Professor Seyedmahmoudian says. 

“We aim to translate cutting-edge innovation into practical solutions that support renewable energy integration and strengthen the resilience of Australia's future electricity networks.”

The funding has been received as part of the Australian Government's Critical Technologies Challenge Program (CTCP).

Building resilience into a changing energy system

Highly accurate, reliable and secure timing is becoming more critical as Australia’s energy system rapidly evolves towards more renewable energy sources, greater distribution areas and increasingly automated electricity.

This is where quantum clocks come in. From synchronising measurements across the grid to coordinating protection and control systems, precise timing plays a critical but often invisible role in keeping our electricity infrastructure operating.

Our current systems rely on satellite-based timing systems such as GPS, which can often be susceptible to interference, disruption and signal loss. 

"The energy transition is not only about generating more renewable electricity; it is also about ensuring that our increasingly complex and interconnected energy systems remain secure, reliable and resilient," Professor Seyedmahmoudian says.

Researchers will investigate how independent timing technologies can be integrated into future energy infrastructure and help support increasingly complex and interconnected electricity networks.

The project will deliver a network-compatible prototype and test its performance in an operational environment.

Bringing expertise and industry together

Swinburne will act as the lead research partner, drawing on expertise from both the Siemens Swinburne Energy Transition Hub and the Innovative Planet Research Institute. The collaboration combines strengths in energy and power-system engineering with advanced positioning, navigation and timing research expertise.

“What makes this project particularly exciting is the opportunity to combine Swinburne's leading energy and quantum timing research expertise with the advanced technologies and industry capabilities of QuantX Labs and Siemens”, says Professor Seyedmahmoudian.

Professor Allison Kealy, Director, Innovative Planet Research Institute, will bring a positioning, navigation and timing perspective to the project, with a particular focus on system-level resilience.

"It gives us the opportunity to look at timing as part of the wider energy system rather than as a standalone technology."

“Swinburne researchers will connect expertise that normally sits in different areas: precision and quantum timing, power systems, renewable-energy integration and smart grids,” says Professor Kealy. 

Creating opportunities for future researchers 

The project will also provide valuable opportunities for researchers and students to work at the intersection of quantum technology, energy systems and critical infrastructure. Participants will gain exposure to real industry requirements and the practical challenges involved in building more resilient energy networks.

“They can learn not just how to improve a sensor or a clock, but how new technology becomes part of a larger operational system – how it is integrated, tested, trusted and used when something goes wrong,” Professor Kealy says.