Benefits of early-stage systems engineering for complex energy decarbonisation projects
Conference
Climate Smart Engineering Conference 2025
Title
Benefits of early-stage systems engineering for complex energy decarbonisation projects
Abstract
The paper explores the application of systems engineering, introduced early in the system lifecycle, to support conceptualisation and development of complex energy decarbonisation (CED) systems and projects. Increasingly supported by digital engineering tools and methods, thoughtful application of systems engineering is proven to reduce project cost and schedule over-runs.
To address the challenges of climate change, efforts to implement energy decarbonisation are rapidly growing. CED projects are often complex with a high potential to reap tangible benefits from the application of systems engineering. This provides systems assurance across the project’s design and implementation. Noting that the highest impact of systems engineering is generally in the early stages of a CED project. These projects span multiple industries, such as: energy generation, storage and distribution; transportation; iron and steel production; mining; and chemical processing.
This paper discusses the development and application of a tailored, economically viable, systems engineering approach, targeted at small to medium enterprises (SMEs). This provides high impact advice on the design, implementation, and risk reduction of CED projects to ensure the delivery of effective solutions that will be delivered within the expected cost and schedule.
Two use cases are used to demonstrate how systems engineering can be applied to CED projects to provide early assurance and refinement of technical concepts, strengthen business cases, and identify and address risks, particularly those associated with emergent functionality of the complex CED project enterprise.
Key takeaways:
- Australia’s goal to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will require significant investment to realise the large number of Complex Energy Decarbonisation projects. Systems engineering has a significant role to play in understanding the system of systems, risks and opportunities and whole of system design.
- A business opportunity exists for SMEs is to embrace systems engineering as a way to support early stage design, harness and realise opportunities, and reduce risk and wasted resources, critical to underpin investor confidence.
- Shoal has developed an austere Digital Engineering approach for Complex Energy Decarbonisation projects, using analysis and modelling, model-based systems engineering and analytical modelling, so that the developmental environment can be where risks and opportunities are assessed, rather than coming to light as the project is implemented.
Authors
Dr Mark Unewisse MIEAust CPEng NER, Systems Engineering Advisor, Shoal Group
Professor Stephen Cook FIEAust CPEng NER, Senior Principal Systems Engineer, Shoal Group
Matthew Wylie MBA CPE CSEP, Head of Engineering, Shoal Group
Date
Thursday 28 August 2025
Learn more
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About Shoal
Shoal is complex systems design company. We use Systems Engineering combined with Modelling, Simulation and Analysis to help our clients define, analyse, decide, optimise, and deliver technology-intensive projects in complex environments across Defence, Space, Transport, Energy and Infrastructure.
More: shoalgroup.com
Contact
Matthew Wylie
Chief Engineer, Shoal Group
[email protected]
