July 2023

CSIRO’s GenCost report reaffirms wind and solar as Australia’s most cost-effective electricity generation

Renewables, led by wind and solar, have retained their position as Australia’s cheapest new-build electricity generation despite a 20 per cent average rise in technology costs, according to the latest GenCost report. The 2022-23 report marks the first time that all technology costs have increased from the previous year since GenCost commenced in 2018. The report highlights industry concerns that the rapid pace of the global energy transition will contribute to escalating cost pressures. This is attributed to the immense scale of manufacturing, raw materials and labour required to develop and deploy clean energy technologies consistent with net zero goals. GenCost modelling projects that technology cost pressures felt in Australia will revert to normal levels by 2027 but are delayed to 2030 in global scenarios where the speed of the energy transition is highest. GenCost is an annual collaboration between CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) that actively consults industry stakeholders to revise domestic electricity generation and storage, as well as hydrogen production costs. CSIRO’s Director of Energy, Dr Dietmar Tourbier, said GenCost’s rigorous scientific and engineering analysis represents Australia’s most comprehensive projection of electricity generation costs. “Australia’s energy challenge lies in the transformation of our existing energy system, while ensuring the continuing delivery of sustainable, reliable and affordable energy as we strive to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” Dr Tourbier said. “This imperative is not only essential for environmental stewardship, but also to maintain Australia’s economic competitiveness in the global market,” Dr Tourbier said. CSIRO’s Chief Energy Economist and GenCost lead author, Paul Graham, said that the COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in lingering global supply chain constraints which impacted the prices of raw materials required in technology manufacturing as well as freight costs. The Ukraine war exacerbated the global supply chain inflationary pressures by raising energy input […]

SmartSat and European Space Agency PIC AUS MN

SmartSat and European Space Agency’s Φ-lab to collaborate on Earth Observation Research

Adelaide – SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (SmartSat), Australia’s leading space research centre, has signed a new agreement with European Space Agency’s (ESA) Φ-lab to collaborate on Earth Observation (EO) research. The European Space Agency’s Φ-lab is a world-leading research centre with a mission to accelerate the future of Earth Observation through transformational innovations and new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and on-board processing. The agreement builds upon SmartSat’s existing relationship with Φ-lab, who supported cosine to develop the HyperScout imager payload. This payload is currently being integrated into the SmartSat-led South Australian Kanyini satellite, following consultations with Φ-lab regarding its Φ-sat-1 satellite mission. The synergies between these missions offer significant collaboration opportunities between SmartSat and Φ-lab regarding onboard intelligence for EO applications, creating a solid foundation for further research activities under the new agreement. SmartSat CEO Professor Andy Koronios, who signed the agreement in Rome, said, “We are delighted to embark on this new chapter of our partnership with ESA’s Φ-lab through this Letter of Intent. Our relationship with Φ-lab has been growing stronger over the past few years through our shared strategic research initiatives in the Kanyini and Φ-sat satellite missions. Φ-lab is at the forefront of Earth Observation technologies, and we are very proud to collaborate with them to further showcase Australian expertise on an international level. This is a testament to the progress we’ve made in our national space industry.” In the picture: (Simonetta Cheli, ESA Director of Earth Observation Programmes and SmartSat CEO Professor Andy Koronios). “We have also identified new collaboration opportunities between researchers at the University of Queensland and Φ-lab to develop advanced AI capabilities using hyperspectral satellite imagery. This will create the next generation of predictive intelligence that can forecast and monitor agricultural and environmental activities and disaster events with greater accuracy,” he added. As part of the new agreement, SmartSat and Φ-lab plan […]

Technofast, honoured in Australia’s Top 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers awards

The Technofast team, left, outside their Australian manufacturing facility in Queensland. The company’s problem-solving mindset and innovative hydraulic tensioning technologies have seen them grow to be a valued supplier of safety-enhancing and downtime-saving solutions for the mining, power generation, sugar, oil and gas, and other critical industries A company dedicated to enhancing safety and reducing downtime through hydraulic fastening technologies for the mining, power generation, sugar, oil and gas, and other critical industries, Technofast, has been selected as one of Australia’s Top 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers for 2023. The awards were run by AuManufacturing, and judged by an independent panel with professional manufacturing industry experience, including industrial software and automation, human-centred design, policy, communication, and more. Manufacturing is a major contributor to Australia’s economy, and encompasses more than 100,000 companies and 900,000 employees. The industry experienced a $7.6b growth in earnings (17.8%) in 2021-22, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Technofast’s core range of Australian-manufactured products – hydraulic nuts and hydraulic bolts – are used to provide precise tensioning on crushers, turbines, steel slitters, and a wide range of industrial applications. Technofast tensioners can often turn a job taking days into one that takes just hours, and with less personnel required. This huge saving in downtime and lost production can often more than pay for the investment in the first use, and continue to provide ongoing savings and benefits. And, importantly, safety is enhanced, because there is no longer the risk of hand or wrist injuries from using flogging spanners or torque wrenches in confined spaces. “To us, innovation means problem-solving,” says Technofast Founder and CEO, John Bucknell. “It means looking at a problem that a customer or company is having and finding a new solution to do that particular task better, faster, […]

Out-of-the box thinking lifts mining safety

Hunter Valley-headquartered Hedweld Group of Companies is a recognised global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of products for the mining sector. Its niche products have few market competitors. With humble beginnings as a general fabricator in 1980, Hedweld made the business decision in the 2000s to focus on supplying products to the mining sector. Its aim from the get-go was to improve the safety of workers and operators, reduce machine down-time, and increase productivity in mine maintenance workshops. It has been a winning strategy. Kristy Hedley, Managing Director, Hedweld Group of Companies in the Advanced Manufacturing Workshop. Hedweld managing director Kristy Hedley (pictured) says the company’s core competencies of safety, efficiency, and innovation are evident in the Trilift® range of component-handling equipment, and the Safe-Away range of access systems. “As the size of open-cut mining equipment gets larger, accessing the components for maintenance requires greater reach and weight-handling capacity,” says Kristy. “This is where the Trilift range of component-handling equipment offers unique solutions. New mobile mining equipment comes from the OEM factory and is supplied to site with a simple vertical rung or chain ladder to climb aboard to gain access to the operator’s cabin. Our Safe-Away access systems provide a safer way to access and egress.” Hedweld has strong international patents on its Trilift products, allowing it to distribute them globally without fear of competition. “The challenge is educating customers about our unique products and solutions, regularly described as ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking,” says Kristy. “We help sites understand the cost of performing tasks using traditional and often unsafe methods and assist them to calculate and understand that they can’t afford not to use Trilift products – for reasons of safety and cost-saving.” Hunter Manufacturing Awards (HMA) appropriately awarded Hedweld the Export and Supply Chains accolade for 2022. The […]

Zeta welding and grinding helmets give full-face protection and visibility

Leading international welding equipment manufacturer, Kemppi, has released its new Zeta range of welding and grinding helmets. The Zeta helmets set a new benchmark in full-face protection with a lightweight design and top-of-the-line visibility features. Designed for multifunctional use where the face and eyes need protection, the Zeta helmets provide an excellent work experience for welding, grinding, inspection and cutting processes. With an emphasis on improved visibility and eye protection, the four models within the Zeta range are equipped with the most advanced auto-darkening filter for welding or a wide visor for grinding, along with many other must-have features. Greater visibility and advanced vision features The Zeta welding helmets have a significantly large viewing area with the ADF filter. It measures 110mm in width and 60mm in height. The Zeta grinding helmets feature a large 200 mm high visor with a 180° horizontal view for greater visibility. In addition, the Zeta ADF is an improved version with VISION+ technology increasing the quality of vision and work accuracy. The ADF DIN 2.5 light-state means you can enjoy sharp colours and visibility through the filter when the welding arc is inactive. Lightweight helmets The shell construction of the Zeta helmets is strong and robust but lightweight. This, together with the helmet’s well-balanced design, helps relieve the strain on the neck and shoulders. Excellent balance aids comfort and work accuracy The well-balanced, narrow-shaped design of the Zeta helmets, combined with the perfect weight distribution, offers extra comfort and endurance resulting into better work accuracy. Integrated LED work lights Both the Zeta G200X and Zeta W200x helmets feature integrated LED lights. The user can manually switch the LED lights off and on. Or they can select the automatic button which switches the lights off in bright conditions and then back on to help improve […]

Lumify Learn to make a positive impact on digital skills shortages

Lumify Group, leading provider of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) training in Australasia, has launched Lumify Learn to provide quality, self-paced, vendor-certified and nationally accredited ICT training, leveraging 30 years of experience, skills and knowledge accumulated by the wider Lumify Group as industry leaders. Bringing a unique offering of nationally accredited qualifications with built-in vendor-certified content (in partnership with the likes of Microsoft, AWS and CompTIA), Lumify Learn tackles the growing problem of skills shortages in Australia’s technology sector. With a recent government-backed survey revealing IT university graduates were the least employable out of 10 sectors surveyed, and nearly one in five IT graduates feel their degree has failed to prepare them for the working world, Lumify Learn’s courses offer students the opportunity to graduate with a vendor-certified qualification and a nationally accredited qualification. This leads to stronger employment outcomes and enables students to secure the right balance of foundational IT skills and the specific vendor-certified competencies that organisations are suffering a shortage of most. With all courses delivered 100% online, Lumify Learn allows students to study their way, from anywhere, at any time. All students are supported by a team of Australian-based ICT experts currently working in industry, who are available to guide students through the course material. Additional to nationally accredited and vendor-aligned courses,Lumify Learn also offers a series of tailored bootcamps in high-demand skillsets, including Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, that take students with zero industry experience to employable professionals in as little as 6 months. Lumify Learn courses are designed for both beginners looking to make an entry into the ICT industry and those looking to advance their careers, and require limited prior knowledge or experience. The business has also announced the launch of its industry-leading program, Lumify Edge, that provides dedicated support and careers […]

New pathways open for women in steel

Women are increasingly turning to non-traditional pathways such as steel for careers, drawn by operational and social advances. 50% of ASI staff were now women. “ASI is a proud supporter of inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive and their achievements are celebrated,” Cain said. ASI founding member steel producer BlueScope agrees. “It’s an exciting, dynamic industry at the cutting edge of change for women,” according to Queensland chapter president of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and BlueScope Qld specification manager Sheree Taylor. “Historical perceptions of the industry are changing: we have world-class safety standards, a culture of trust and respect and are investing in emerging, responsible steel technology,” Taylor said. BlueScope’s promotion and profiling of steel jobs now focuses on gender-neutral attributes, including problem-solving, skills training, job security and career advancement. Success of the job program has seen a five-fold increase of women at an operational level since 2016 across BlueScope Australia. BlueScope is also a signatory to the HESTA 40:40 Vision initiative which seeks to achieve gender balance in executive leadership across all ASX200 companies by 2030. Taylor said one of the keys to attracting more women into manufacturing and steel is at the school level. ‘’It is fantastic to see careers advice at schools now increasingly showcase the exciting opportunities for women in manufacturing – across both trade, operator and professional roles. However, there is still more to do to support women into these careers so they can add to the industry and reap the benefits of secure employment and a fulfilling career.’’ Site services contract controller for ASI founding member InfraBuild Wire Emma Mellows, said the IWD ‘Embrace Equity’ theme powerfully resonated with her. “Outside of work, I actively mentor young people, including young women, encouraging and supporting them to follow paths leading […]

SmartSat CEO Professor Andy Koronios AUS MN

SmartSat CRC and partners commit $7 million to develop AI-enabled spacecraft that can operate autonomously

SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (SmartSat), Australia’s leading space research centre, has launched a $7 million project to develop new autonomous spacecraft using artificial intelligence (AI). The three-year project, Spacecraft Autonomy and Onboard AI for Next Generation Space Systems, known as SCARLET-α, will bring together eight SmartSat partners: Airbus, Asension, Deakin University, Defence Science and Technology Group, Leonardo Australia, Saab Australia, Swinburne University of Technology, and University of South Australia (UniSA) in a collaborative research effort. SCARLET-α aims to create a set of autonomous algorithms that will enable small and distributed spacecraft to make decisions independently, optimise the use of available resources and capabilities, adapt to changing conditions, and handle critical situations, without intervention from Earth. The project will focus on high impact areas of spacecraft autonomy and onboard AI as identified and prioritised with the industry and defence partners, including: Onboard processing and actionable intelligence Small spacecraft and constellation resilience Dynamic optimisation of constellation resources Real-time tasking and resource allocation SmartSat CEO Professor Andy Koronios, says that, to date, onboard processing has been limited to data collection, but researchers hope the algorithms they develop will allow spacecraft to perform many tasks with less intervention from human operators. “As autonomous technologies advance and are embraced, their place in space will expand and present new opportunities for applications here on Earth. The next generation of satellite communications and earth observation will be achieved using integrated systems of satellite constellations operating autonomously and performing multiple tasks in real time. Such AI-enabled technologies promise to transform the major sectors of our economy, such as agriculture, farming, and mining, and better serve our defence and national security objectives. This investment is possible through the great support of the Federal Government CRC Program Australia and will help develop cutting-edge technologies in space autonomy.” “With next-generation space systems on the horizon, the possibilities […]

EVOS closes $5m funding round

Entire raise completed through existing investors as Brisbane-based electric vehicle charging start up looks to bring new products to market within weeks EVOS, a start-up specialising in fleet energy management and AC charging for electric vehicles (EVs), has completed a funding round, securing $5m from existing investors. The investment will enable the company to begin to bring to market new technologies ideal for a number of EV charging use cases to address challenges for EV fleet operators and EV homeowners/renters, among many others. EVOS is founded by CEO Marcelo Salgado; Chief Experience & Innovation Officer Seshan Weeratunga, and Chief Technology Officer Chris Crossman. “This investment validates all the hard work the team has put in since we launched our company, and it shows the belief our investors have in a home-grown manufacturer being able to deliver game-changing offerings for Australians,” said Salgado. “Since launching, we’ve unveiled our first charger, the Fleet Home 22 AC Charger and our patented Smart Start solution to help fleet and EV owners simplify and reduce the cost of charging. “We now have a number of new products on the roadmap and this investment will help bring them to market much more quickly.” A new home charger, to be launched in Brisbane on July 19, will be the first cab off the rank for the company. Rapid expansion and rollout of solutions to address the needs of EV owners The company initially raised $1.7m to help the company expand its team and commercialise its technology. Since then, EVOS has added 22 employees to its manufacturing, sales and engineering departments, while launching its game-changing products. “We’ve seen tremendous growth not just within our team but the opportunities for electric vehicles in Australia,” said Crossman. “Some of the barriers to EV adoption have gone down and we’re seeing […]

Scalable automation solution optimises process at new Kaolin plant

WA Kaolin is using Rockwell Automation technology to enhance operational efficiency as it ramps up production. A new kaolin mining operation in Wickepin, Western Australia, is utilising an integrated automation solution to reduce overall costs, improve scheduling, and deliver ongoing benefits to operations. Kaolin, which is becoming increasingly valuable, is a soft white clay that has been surging in demand, with uses in applications including paper and plasterboard, ceramics, fiberglass, paints and coatings, plastics, rubber, pharmaceuticals and medicine, cosmetics, concrete construction materials and agriculture. WA Kaolin – an ASX-listed mineral exploration, extraction, and processing company – has developed a proprietary dry processing method known as K99, which turns raw material into market-suitable feedstock for global customers. Combined with the high quality of the ore reserve, the K99 process delivers high-quality ultra-bright kaolin at a lower cost than conventional chemical bleaching and magnetic separation processing. WA Kaolin has constructed a Stage 1 commercial processing plant on a three-hectare site in Wickepin, about 200 kilometres southeast of Perth, Western Australia. The site has been identified as having a mineral resource estimate of more than 600 million tonnes of extremely high grade, easy access kaolin across its mining and retention tenements, one of the largest known remaining premium primary resources of kaolin in the world. There is a strategic plan in place to expand production capacity to exceed 400,000 tons per annum (tpa) after 36 months, so WA Kaolin selected engineering and planning consultancy, Willyung Electrical & Controls Engineering (WECE) to manage the process of steadily scaling up. WECE analysed the requirements, and selected Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx® Distributed Control System (DCS) to provide a single, plant-wide control system, with the flexibility to make better and faster business decisions and a scalable solution for future expansion. In late 2022, WA Kaolin successfully commenced […]

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July 2023