A new multi-state research collaboration is advancing innovative waste-to-energy (WtE) solutions to support Defence operations across northern Australia.

The Northern Australia Defence Project is the first national initiative delivered under the Australian Defence Science and University Network (ADSUN).

Through this project, researchers from six Australian universities – James Cook University, Griffith University, Charles Darwin University, Curtin University, Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University – will collaborate to develop solutions to critical Defence waste management priorities.

Research efforts will focus on deployable microgrid and waste management systems capable of converting operational waste into usable energy.

The team will integrate solar photovoltaic generation, battery storage and WtE technologies to deliver resilient, scalable energy solutions suitable for remote environments.

The initiative aims to support Defence by improving access to reliable power, reducing logistical demands, strengthening energy independence and enabling more sustainable operations with reduced reliance on vulnerable supply chains.

It also advances Defence’s clean energy and Net Zero priorities under the National Defence Strategy.

Led by ADSUN state nodes, the Queensland Defence Science Alliance and the Defence Science Centre, the project will be delivered across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Chief Defence Scientist Professor Tanya Monro said the project represented a significant step forward for ADSUN as a national collaboration mechanism.

“This milestone project marks ADSUN’s transition from a network of networks to a truly national collaborative engine, delivering coordinated, multi-state solutions to Defence priorities,” Professor Monro said.

“By exploring ways to convert waste into reliable energy, the research has the potential to strengthen operational resilience in remote and challenging environments while reducing logistical and environmental impacts.”