Spotlight on a student: Omar Castrejon Campos

Recent PhD graduate Omar Castrejon Campos is an industrial engineer and sustainability expert with a wealth of real-world experience behind his academic achievements. While conducting research for his PhD within the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Group at the University of Melbourne, Omar enjoyed the rigor of the work, but missed the hands-on approach of his previous roles in management, policy, and international collaborations.

When he heard about the Zero Emission Energy Laboratory (ZEE Lab) internship program, it seemed a perfect fit. As a ZEE Lab intern, Omar was placed with Urban Analytica, a group that works on data science for cities, to work on a project looking at the role of micro-mobility in the transition to a clean energy and transport system. The placement enabled him to explore how his latest research can be applied in a real-world context, and opened doors to employment after graduation.

We asked the new Dr Castrejon Campos to tell us more about his experience with ZEE Lab, and how he plans to take his work forward to contribute to a more sustainable, liveable future.

Can you tell us about your ZEE Lab internship project and your role in it?

I was brought in by Urban Analytica to work on a research project that aimed to estimate the carbon credits accrued from micro-mobility use in cities, such as the use of e-bikes and e-scooters.

The original idea was to use the company’s telematics technology – devices that relay real-time data about driving behaviour and patterns – to explore the extent to which micro-mobility influences the transition from fossil-fuelled car trips to cleaner, electric micro-mobility journeys.

However, as energy and transport systems are complex, dynamic, and constantly evolving, it was determined that the first step should be to better understand how behavioural change affects carbon emissions in the transportation sector.

To achieve this objective, I helped to develop an innovative methodology that can estimate real-world lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from different passenger vehicles in Australia, based on driving behaviour captured by telematics technology.

What did you study to land in this area of research?

I am an Industrial Engineer (with honours) by education, but I am experienced in energy and sustainability topics by profession. I have studied in the leading universities of Mexico, Canada, and Australia to strengthen my knowledge of various complementary energy topics from a holistic viewpoint.

I have completed a master’s degree in Systems Engineering, a one-year specialisation program in Energy Management, a PhD in Engineering (with a focus on the energy sector), and multiple courses in energy systems. My postgraduate studies have been supported through scholarships granted by the Government of Mexico due to my outstanding academic performance.

Why did you want to be part of ZEE Lab?

This is personal for me – I am a passionate sustainability advocate with eight-plus years of experience in clean energy and sustainability transitions, mainly through technological development and innovation.

In Mexico, I was actively involved in building a more sustainable energy system. I held a managerial role with the Mexican Energy Sustainability Fund (2014-2018), aiding decision-makers in assessing and coordinating more than 100 energy-related research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects, worth more than US$ 100 million, focused on the development and deployment of clean energy technologies, improvement of energy efficiency, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions at national and regional levels. I directly participated in the development of energy policy initiatives focused on a low-carbon transition for Mexico. Some of these initiatives included international collaborations to accelerate clean energy technologies worldwide, such as through Mission Innovation and International Energy Agency programs.

But energy policymaking in developing countries depends largely on limited information, and the complex dynamic interactions between policy, economy, society, environment, and technology often affect the intended outcomes of policy strategies, and therefore the performance of energy systems. Based on these limitations, and with the aim of helping policymakers design and implement robust strategies for clean energy transitions, I decided to deepen my knowledge by conducting research on energy policy analysis within the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Group at the University of Melbourne.

Through my PhD, I conducted research around energy and sustainability transitions in developing and developed countries. However, something was missing: the real-world, hands-on work I was used to being involved in. When I heard about ZEE Lab, and its aim to connect research and industry to co-develop clean energy solutions and innovations, it seemed the perfect opportunity for me!

ZEE Lab granted me the opportunity to work with an incredible group of professionals with similar interests around sustainability and clean energy transitions. It was very instructive to apply my international experience in an Australian context, and see the similarities and differences. The experience gave me the leverage to apply my skills and knowledge to real-world problems and to contribute to developing holistic solutions.

What do you want to do next?

My goal is to contribute to the transition to a more sustainable, liveable future. I would like to continue working on energy and sustainability transitions by combining the best of three worlds: industry, academia, and government.

Now that I have completed my PhD in Engineering (Energy) in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Melbourne, I am ready to support Australia’s transition to net zero emissions, by developing and implementing climate and energy policy strategies, supporting the execution of energy and sustainability programs, and assisting with the development and diffusion of clean energy technologies to diversify and decarbonise energy companies.

I am currently involved in diverse activities focused on reducing carbon emissions in different sectors and contributing to meet some of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goals on affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), and climate action (SDG 13).

In addition, as a Research Assistant at the University of Melbourne, I am supporting the Victorian Government to develop a decision-making framework that can assist departments and agencies in evaluating the suitability of innovative construction methods for various infrastructure projects, with an emphasis on sustainability aspects such as energy use, carbon emissions, and waste generation.

The ZEE Lab internship has also opened the door for me to continue my work with Urban Analytica in contributing to emission reductions in the Australian transportation sector and through other UN SDG contributions, such as reduction of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents, and reduction of adverse environmental impacts of cities, with special attention to air quality.

Further information

Omar is happy to answer questions related to his experience with ZEE Lab, and can be contacted at o.castrejoncampos@unimelb.edu.au