Energy

University takes quantum leap in race to build first super battery

A South Australian university has recruited a leading quantum physics expert in a bid to win the race to build the world’s first quantum battery. Dr James Quach has joined the University of Adelaide’s School of Physical Sciences for four years under a Ramsay Fellowship. He will work within the Precision Measurement Group in the University’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS). The new super battery, with the potential for instantaneous charging, could replace conventional batteries in small electronic devices such as a watch, phone, iPad or computer or any other product that relies on stored energy. Eventually it is hoped larger quantum batteries could provide opportunities for the renewable energy sector. Dr Quach, who has previously been a researcher at the University of Melbourne and the ICFO Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona, said that unlike ordinary batteries, quantum batteries would theoretically charge faster the more you have of them. Dr James Quach will work under a Ramsay Fellowship to develop a quantum battery. “If one quantum battery takes one hour to charge, then two would take 30 minutes, three would take 20 minutes, and so on. If you had 10,000 batteries, they would all charge in less than a second,” he said. This is possible thanks to a feature of quantum mechanics known as entanglement. “Quantum mechanics deals with interactions at the very smallest of scales, at the levels of atoms and molecules – at this level you get very special properties that violate the conventional laws of physics,” said Dr Quach. “One of those properties is ‘entanglement’. When two objects are entangled it means that their individual properties are always shared – they somehow lose their sense of individuality. “It’s because of entanglement that it becomes possible to speed up the battery charging process.” South Australia is a global renewable energy […]

Archer’s Jamieson Tank manganese project capable of battery production

Archer Exploration Limited (ASX: AXE), is pleased to announce outstanding results from recent metallurgical test work conducted on a composite drill sample sourced from the Company’s 100% owned Jamieson Tank Manganese Project (located near Cleve, South Australia). The metallurgical test work was completed by Kemetco Research Inc, the same company that did the Ketchowla manganese and cobalt test work (ASX announcement 12 February 2018), and showed that the Jamieson Tank manganese was capable of making an EMD product with a manganese content of >92%, which is the standard required for alkaline and lithium-ion batteries The test work involved the leaching of the manganese from the old drill sample provided by Archer, purification of the leach to remove iron, cobalt, nickel and other potentially deleterious elements and finally the precipitation of the electrolytic manganese dioxide onto graphite cathode and titanium anodes. Executive Chairman, Greg English commented: “It is very exciting that our manganese at Jamieson Tank has been independently shown to be suitable in the production of high-grade manganese EMD, with its high-value applications in emerging and established battery technologies. This is consistent with our expanding exploration portfolio focus on advanced materials and reliable energy storage technologies.” Mr English continued: “The Jamieson Tank Manganese Project complements our nearby Campoona graphite and graphene project with its granted mining tenements, and our other manganese and cobalt exploration prospects at Ketchowla and North Broken Hill. We look forward to updating the market on further developments over the coming weeks.” The Jamieson Tank Manganese Project The Jamieson Tank Manganese Project straddles two separate tenements both owned by Archer: Carappee Hill (site of the proposed Sugarloaf Graphite Processing Facility) and Waddikee. The Carappee Hill portion was initially drilled by Archer in 2008 with follow up drilling under a joint venture between Archer and the manganese miner […]

Australian Tritium gears up to increase production

Tritium’s new manufacturing facility will increase capacity seven fold Production capacity for 6,000 chargers per year High-tech manufacturing jobs to triple Brisbane, Australia 4 October 2017: Tritium, the Australian technology company that is an international leader in the development and manufacture of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, has officially opened its Global HQ and major manufacturing facility in Brisbane, which will enable it to increase its capacity potential seven fold. In a ceremony, attended by the Honourable Mark Bailey MP, Minister for Main Roads, Safety and Ports, Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply, Tritium announced the new facility will enable the company to produce 6,000 Veefil fast chargers for electric vehicles a year and will triple the number of high-tech manufacturing jobs. Tritium’s CEO David Finn explained the new manufacturing plant was a learning line “This facility will allow us to fine tune our production process, and make sure we are hitting the high quality levels we want to achieve. However, in the future we will need to be manufacturing closer to our core markets and within five years we estimate Brisbane will be just a small output in our production capacity. “Around 95% of our sales are export and we currently are seeing a lot of activity in public charging networks in Europe and the US.” “The Veefil-RT 50kW fast charger, which was ten years in development, was only launched four years ago and has been an outstanding international success, with innovative new technology developed in house. It was the start of a range of fast chargers that is continuing to grow and we are preparing for three new products to be launched next year.” The Veefil-RT is operational in 22 countries with an impressive customer base of international infrastructure providers, including ChargePoint, Stromnetz, Fortum Charge & Drive. As […]

Large-scale battery storage to transform renewable energy future

The announcement that the world’s largest lithium ion battery will be installed in South Australia by the end of 2017, will transform and fast track reliable renewable energy in Australia, as well as globally, according to a leading energy industry authority Dr Alex Wonhas, Managing Director, Energy, Resources & Manufacturing of global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon. Under an agreement with the South Australian Government, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s Tesla, and the French renewable energy group Neoen, the battery, three times more powerful than any other system in the world, will be designed to provide power to the grid at times of generation shortfall, as well as providing stability to the network, day and night. “The coupling of renewable energy with large scale battery storage is a fundamental requirement for an affordable, reliable and sustainable energy future for Australia,” said Dr Wonhas, who was previously Executive Director for CSIRO’s environment, energy and resources sector. “South Australia is now set to lead the charge in battery storage that will, in turn, revolutionise the way in which renewable energy is integrated into electricity networks. Aurecon is the Specialist and Technical Engineering Advisor to the Government of South Australia for the implementation of its Energy Plan. The company is providing advice across the entire programme, including the 100 MW battery, emergency gas generator and power supply contracts. The announcement of the world’s largest lithium ion grid connected battery system at 100 MW/129 MWh is the culmination of three months of intensive work by Aurecon. This included evaluation and shortlisting of expression of interest submissions, development of the technical and functional requirements of the system and invitation to supply documents, evaluation of respondent proposals and negotiations to enable the final contract to be signed. Aurecon also supported the Government to engage with various […]

Bungala solar project achieves ‘clean energy’ firsts in Australia

Australia has taken another significant step forward in improving its reliance on clean energy with the recent financial close of the first of two phases of the 300 MWac Bungala Solar Photovoltaic (PV) project near Port Augusta, South Australia. The project, which is being sold to two of Europe’s biggest investors in renewables, the Italian Enel Green Energy and the Dutch Infrastructure Fund, has achieved several industry ‘firsts’. One of several large-scale solar projects proposed for South Australia, it will be the first to begin construction. It is also amongst the first large solar farms to participate in Australia’s frequency control and ancillary services (FCAS) market, using inverter technology to provide voltage control for the grid. Once fully operational, the project will generate sufficient energy for approximately 130 000 homes and assist the grid with ancillary services. Global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon has been engaged by the EPC contractor Green Light Contractors, subsidiary of Elecnor Australia, to provide design services for Phases One and Two of the solar farm, including preparation of management plans as well as assisting with commissioning of the project. These phases of the Bungala Solar Project form part of a number of large scale solar farms to be built in Australia in 2018. Next year, six new large scale solar farms in Queensland, five in New South Wales and one in Western Australia are set to be constructed. “The Bungala Solar Project will support Australia’s commitment to a greener economy and create a number of jobs in the Port Augusta region for years to come. The project is being fast-tracked and we will be able to see the tangible results within a short amount of time, with the first electricity to be supplied to the grid by the first quarter of next year, with […]

Comment on the Australian Budget

Dr. Alex Wonhas. The policy direction outlined in the 2017-2018 Australian Federal Budget marks a distinct move away from a long-standing and bipartisan market led approach to energy. According to Dr Alex Wonhas, Aurecon’s Managing Director, Energy, Resources & Manufacturing, the policy direction outlined in the 2017-2018 Australian Federal Budget marks a distinct move away from a long-standing and bipartisan market led approach to energy to one of targeted direct intervention and government investment in the energy sector. “The 2017 May Budget contains a number of measures aimed at improving the affordability and reliability of energy in form of investment in infrastructure and institutions,” he said. The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to invest in Snowy Hydro 2.0 and to potentially buy a greater share or even obtain outright ownership from NSW and Vic, who currently own 58% and 29% respectively. The Government has also made a promise to retain Snowy Hydro in public ownership. Mr Wonhas said that the 2017-2018 Australian Federal Budget foreshadows investments in other new generation such as a solar thermal plant at Port Augusta, transmission and storage infrastructure, as well as a $90m energy security plan. “It is true that the areas identified by Government are likely to require future investment. Further detail regarding the energy security plan will be eagerly anticipated by the industry,” said Dr Wonhas. “In order to improve its energy security, Australia will need to find cost effective ways to store or transport energy from where and when it is produced to where and when it is needed as energy supply will become increasingly variable through the expected uptake of renewable energy. “The growth of wind and solar will become less and less dependent on subsidies as these technologies have now reached the tipping point of becoming cost competitive with new […]

Kaeser delivers high quality compressed air to Malabar WWTP

As part of the Malabar Waste Water Treatment Plant Process and Reliability / Renewal Improvement Project being delivered by 4Malabar, an ageing compressed air system at the plant was recently upgraded with three Kaeser CSDX series rotary screw compressors, along with a Sigma Air Manager 4.0 compressed air management system. Australia’s largest water and wastewater service provider, Sydney Water is a State Owned Corporation wholly owned by the New South Wales Government. Sydney Water collects and treats around 1.5 billion litres of wastewater each day through a network of over 25,000 kilometres of wastewater pipes, 677 pumping stations, 14 water recycling plants and 16 wastewater treatment plants. Malabar Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) is Sydney Water’s largest wastewater treatment plant. It has an average daily discharge of almost 500 ML. A significant project was initiated at Malabar WWTP to improve the reliability of the processes that treat wastewater, to ensure Malabar WWTP continues to comply with its environment protection license requirements, improve safety and working conditions and reduce operating costs. This will ensure that Sydney Water continues to deliver great value for their customers and better conditions for their staff. The Project is being delivered by 4Malabar, an alliance between Sydney Water, John Holland, UGL Engineering and GHD. Work on the Improvement Project started in 2014 and is expected to be completed by mid-2019. Since work has commenced, a number of improvements have been completed and include an upgrade of the ageing compressed air system. Compressed air is used for a number of plant site services across Malabar WWTP including valving, pneumatic actuation and sparging. A reliable and efficient supply of quality compressed air is critical to deliver these site services and was therefore a key criteria in selecting the new system. Following a successful tender process, three Kaeser CSDX […]

Air quality: ACOEM Group merges with Indo-Australian company Ecotech

ACOEM Group (EUR 62 million revenue, 450 employees) announces its merger with Ecotech, Indo-Australian specialist in air quality monitoring (EUR 24 million revenue, 220 employees). ACOEM Group’s mission is to help companies and public authorities limit their environmental impact, offering products and services that enable them to prevent noise and vibration pollution, improve air quality, and increase the productivity and reliability of industrial machines. Leveraging this merger as well as its positioning in the high-growth market for monitoring environmental parameters, ACOEM Group seeks to double its sales revenue by 2020. “The extensive expertise Ecotech possesses in air quality complements our well-established know-how in acoustics and vibration, making the ACOEM Group the world’s first company to position itself in the measurement, analysis, and control of all types of environmental parameters,” says Fabien Condemine, CEO, ACOEM Group. “Our merger with Ecotech also enables us to speed up our international growth, notably by opening markets in Australia, India, and Southeast Asia.” “Joining the ACOEM Group is an opportunity for Ecotech to continue its growth, participating in the international success of a group that shares our vision and common values,” says Nicholas Dal Sasso, Managing Director at Ecotech. This external growth operation is consistent with the ACOEM Group’s strong growth over the past five years (from EUR 40 million revenue in 2011 to EUR 62 million in 2015), and it supports a development strategy that seeks to make ACOEM Group the worldwide leader in monitoring environmental parameters. This merger will enable both companies to leverage their expertise and positioning: – Ecotech will develop its expertise in air quality over all the zones covered by ACOEM Group, notably Europe, North America, and Brazil. – ACOEM Group will develop its expertise related to noise and vibration pollution in all the zones covered by Ecotech, notably Australia, […]

Expert calls for grid renationalisation

A publicly owned national electricity grid is the logical solution to Australia’s energy crisis, according to University of Queensland economist Professor John Quiggin. In “Grid Renationalisation – a discussion paper”, published by Flinders University’s Australian Industrial Transformation Institute, Professor John Quiggin said electricity reform in Australia has been a comprehensive failure since the creation of the National Electricity Market (NEM) in the 1990s. “We’re past the point of tinkering; energy instability is compromising our growth and economic progress,” Professor Quiggin said. “Tweaks to the system, such as those being considered in the Independent Review into the Future Security of the National Electricity Market, will not resolve the fundamental failings of a privatised and fragmented system subject to multiple regulators. “The price increases of the past decades and the series of recent breakdowns reflect systemic design flaws, exacerbated by the failure to take appropriate account of the implications of climate change. “The appropriate policy solution is a unified, publicly owned, National Grid encompassing the ownership of physical transmission networks in each state and interconnectors between states. “It would be responsible for maintaining security of supply and planning the transition to a sustainable, zero emissions, electricity supply industry. Professor Quiggin said that some would describe a publicly owned National Grid as “unthinkable”. However he said it was the only coherent response to the failure of neoliberal electricity reform, just as the establishment of a publicly owned National Broadband Network was the only feasible response to the failure of telecommunications reform. “And, in the light of the political upheavals of 2016, the idea that any political possibility should be dismissed as unthinkable appears obsolete,” Professor Quiggin said. AITI Director Professor John Spoehr said the paper lays down a challenge to governments of all persuasions to set aside politics and pursue policy that is […]

World-first universal chute design cuts costs and downtime

A multidirectional rotating underground coal chute system that can be installed in less than a single shift at a typical mine has been developed by Chute Technology in what the Australian technology and manufacturing partnership believes is a world first. The cost-saving universal chute – which can rotate output through 160 degrees left or right – can remove completely the need to custom-manufacture individual chute types to fit the confined spaces and particular angles of individual mines. The versatile bolt-in system – comprising a complete integrated structure from head end to conveyor outlet – features a rotating outlet beneath the head that can be angled to any position required to facilitate product flow. In addition to radically reducing the labour required for manufacture and installation, the chute’s ability to be installed in a fraction of the time of custom chutes minimises downtime by keeping production moving when chutes wear out. “This is a brilliantly simple breakthrough in cost and time saving at a time when the mining industry needs it most to maintain production. The benefits are obvious when you look at the basic concept, but we don’t know of anywhere else in the world where it has been done,” says Chute Technology Partner Mr Tom Woods, whose experience of coal chute manufacture through family company T.W. Woods Construction extends back more than 40 years. The new chute system – of which the first example has already been produced – is the result of the analytical, design and manufacturing experience of each of the three Principal Partners in Chute Technology, who have combined experience of more than 80 years in a wide variety of resource industries including coal, iron ore, alumina and limestone across Australia, the USA, South America and South Africa. The company’s technologies are also applicable to gold, […]

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