OCEAN-H2 - Offshore Clean Hydrogen Production for Multi-use Purposes
Funding Body: Xjenza Malta through Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership Joint Call 2024
An ongoing ambitious transnational collaboration that aims to find the optimal technical solution for EU-wide offshore green hydrogen across the Mediterranean, North Sea, and Baltic Sea. This involves studying MTDC microgrids with seawater electrolysis for system resilience and efficiency.
Principal Investigator: Alexander Micallef
Project Website: Link
FlexBIT - Flexibility Exploitation for Residential, Tertiary, and Industrial Buildings
Funding Body: Xjenza Malta through Clean Energy Technology Partnership Joint Call 2023
An ongoing ambitious transnational collaboration that aims to develop solutions for a cost-effective transition to a zero-carbon energy system, with a strong emphasis on creating a digital platform to efficiently manage flexibility across sectors.
Principal Investigator: Alexander Micallef
Project Website: Link
TenSyGrid - Tensors for System Analysis of Converter-dominated Power Grids
Funding Body: Xjenza Malta through Clean Energy Technology Partnership Joint Call 2023
An ongoing transnational collaboration developing a toolbox with innovative stability analysis methods to facilitate the integration of 100 % renewable energy-based supply while maintaining a safe and stable operation of the power system.
Principal Investigator: John Licari
Project Website: Link
DISTRICT - Decarbonization of Ports using microgrid technologies with shore and offshore power (Grant Agreement: SINO-MALTA-2023-01)
Funding Body: Xjenza Malta through the SINO-MALTA Fund 2023 Joint Call for Project Proposals
An ongoing international collaboration contributing to fundamental research on the green transition of ports by developing strategies to decarbonize the present and future port activities.
Principal Investigator: Alexander Micallef
Project Website: Link
HESS - Hybrid Energy Storage Systems (Grant Agreement: SINO-MALTA-2023-03)
Funding Body: Xjenza Malta through the SINO-MALTA Fund 2023 Joint Call for Project Proposals
An ongoing international collaboration contributing fundamental research in the area of Energy Hubs based microgrids for the exploitation of green energy
Principal Investigator: John Licari
Project Website: Link
ATLANTES - Assessment of an Emission Control Area in Maltese Ports [2022 - 2026]
Funding Body: “Setting up of transdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange (TRAKE) complex at the University of Malta (ERDF.01.124)” which is co-financed through the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund 2014 – 2020)
Principal Investigator: Alexander Micallef
ESTELLE - Energy Storage and Power-to-x Technologies for Optimal Integration of Renewable Generation
Funding Body: Energy and Water Agency under the National Strategy for Research and Innovation in Energy and Water (2021-2030)
Principal Investigator: Alexander Micallef
Project Website: Link
REVOLT - Reducing Energy generated intermittency through VOLTage regulation
Funding Body: Energy and Water Agency under the National Strategy for Research and Innovation in Energy and Water (2021-2030)
Principal Investigator: John Licari
Project Website: Link
CO-STORE - Coordinated Energy Storage for Low Carbon Power Networks
Funding Body: “Setting up of transdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange (TRAKE) complex at the University of Malta (ERDF.01.124)” which is co-financed through the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund 2014 – 2020)
Principal Investigator: Cedric Caruana
RIVIERA - Reducing Emissions with Innovative Marine Power and Propulsion Systems using Alternative Fuels
Funding Body: UM Research Seed Fund 2021 + Research Excellence Fund 2022 - 2023
Principal Investigator: Alexander Micallef
Energy Regeneration at the Malta Freeport Terminals
Funding Body: RIDT
Principal Investigator: Cedric Caruana
The aim of this project is to assess the current energy regeneration from the AC quay cranes and to look at different options to improve the benefit to MFT.
Electrical Energy Optimisation for the More Electric Aircraft
Funding Body: University of Malta Research Funds 2017
Principal Investigator: Cyril Spiteri Staines
Recent advances in power electronics applied to commercial aircraft technology (e.g. Airbus A380 and Boeing 787) brought about an increase in the use of aircraft electrical systems (actuation, wing ice protection, environmental control and fuel pumping). The study in this project shall focus on the simulation of a More Electric Aircraft (MEA) power system to determine the optimal configuration in power generation, distribution (energy management) and end use. The research shall model both the generation systems and the electrical loads (power converters and electrical machines) and shall look into AC and/or DC distributed power systems or a hybrid combination allowing for flexible system reconfiguration aimed at achieving efficient operation. The study shall also look at different flight mission scenarios for stable and efficient operation throughout the flight.
Integrating solar PV with heat pumps and thermal energy storage in zero-energy buildings
Funding Body: University of Malta
Researcher: Jessica Settino
Project team: Tonio Sant, Cyril Spiteri Staines, Alexander Micallef, John Licari, Christopher Micallef, Mario Farrugia
Photovoltaics (PVs) are a mature and well-established technology, which has proven its potential in contributing to achieve net Zero Energy Buildings (ZEBs). According to the current practice, the electricity generated from PVs is injected into the grid. However, in a scenario of high PV market penetration, the high amounts of injected real power could cause overvoltage events which can jeopardise the stability of the grid. The project aims at investigating reliable and economically feasible alternatives for electricity, heating and cooling production in nearly Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB). A novel design, integrating PV with storage systems, will be identified to ensure a more flexible operation in a microgrid scenario. The proposed design should guarantee, through the optimisation of the overall system operation, the possibility to improve the energy use, shifting the electricity consumption towards period of low energy demand and reducing the amount of electricity injected into the grid in periods of high solar radiation. An energy management system has a central role in collecting, analysing data and learning the building occupants' habit to provide the best system operation and schedule of the activities.
