Environment

Achieving carbon neutrality: One company’s lessons learned

– Eric Rondolat, CEO, Signify Committing to carbon neutrality can trigger wide-ranging changes in how any company operates. Lessons learned from Signify can help any company understand the challenges and opportunities ahead when tackling emissions. Signify, formerly the lighting business of Philips, achieved carbon neutrality last September, delivering on a promise forged at COP21 in 2015. During the decade, the company also reduced its CO2 emissions by 70%. Achieving carbon neutrality is not for the faint of heart and it’s all the more taxing if you have a multi-national presence, with a global manufacturing footprint and supply chain. We benefited from an early start, having recognized the need to check our emissions earlier in the decade. Still, we learned a lot on our path to carbon neutrality that can help others and speed their efforts. What follows are some nuggets of advice, hard-earned through experience. 1. Embrace systems change First off, success on emissions reductions is dependent on making it core to your strategy. This means drafting business goals that align with and can be accomplished through efforts to reduce emissions. Other steps are also key, including establishing science-based targets, dissecting every aspect of your operations to save energy and emissions, and investing in measurable, worthy projects that offset unavoidable carbon emissions. From the outset it’s important to involve teams from supply chain management, manufacturing, business travel, human resources, energy procurement and real estate, as decisions made by them will directly impact your carbon footprint. Leave no stone unturned. We broke down and reviewed energy use across all our operations. Then we set about transitioning to energy efficient technologies in our offices, manufacturing, and logistical sites. Naturally, installing our own energy efficient LED lighting was a no-brainer. But significant investment was made in energy efficient manufacturing technologies and more efficient HVAC […]

Rio Tinto’s partnership with SM TAFE, WA Government wins global award

Rio Tinto’s partnership with South Metropolitan TAFE (SM TAFE) and the Western Australian State Government has been globally recognised at the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics 2020 Awards of Excellence. The partnership won Gold in the ‘Partnership with Industry’ category for its work in developing and deploying the first nationally recognised vocational qualifications in automation. The World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics is an international network of colleges and national and regional associations of colleges. A total of 113 nominations were received for the awards from organisations around the world. In 2017, Rio Tinto committed $2 million towards the development of automation qualifications to provide pathways to emerging jobs in the field of automation. Since then, pilots for a Certificate II in Autonomous Workplace Operations, as well as a Certificate IV in Remote Centre Operations, have been completed with broader enrolments planned for 2021. A pilot micro credential Course in Working Effectively in an Automated Environment qualification is ongoing with wider enrolment options planned for 2022. Scott Browne, Vice President of Human Resources from Rio Tinto said, “Our partnership with South Metropolitan TAFE has been vitally important in terms of providing workers in the resources sector, and others looking to join it, with new pathways to the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in an increasingly STEM-based world. “We are delighted to win this award which is a recognition of the bridge this partnership has built between STEM and formal education in the workplace and is a demonstration of what can be delivered when industry, government and education work together.” Terry Durant, Managing Director of South Metropolitan TAFE, said, “South Metropolitan TAFE is honoured to win this award. The workplace is rapidly changing and it is very exciting to be at the forefront together with industry; and to be […]

Trial aims to help support more solar

Solar customers in South Australia and Victoria will soon be able to feed more energy into the grid thanks to a new project announced today by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). ARENA has announced $2.09 million in funding to a consortium led by SA Power Networks to trial a new approach to integrating rooftop solar with the grid, using smart inverters. Distributors SA Power Networks and Victorian-based AusNet Services have partnered with industry-leading inverter manufacturers, Fronius, SMA, and SolarEdge, and energy management software company SwitchDin to develop the technical capability needed to offer customers flexible rather than fixed export limits for solar. The $4.84 million project will develop and test end-to-end technical capability to enable flexible export limits for solar PV systems. The capability will be built into Australian products from market-leading inverter manufacturers and will be enabled in many other inverter brands through SwitchDin’s Droplet gateway device. Through a 12 month field trial involving about 600 customers in South Australia and Victoria, the project will test the viability of this kind of connection arrangement, and refine and develop the associated technologies and customer connection service to the point where it could be offered as a standard service to all customers installing solar. Australians are currently installing new PV systems at a rate of more than 200,000 per annum across the NEM. These systems provide many benefits but also present challenges for distribution networks in maintaining safety, quality and security of supply. Distribution networks such as South Australia’s are reaching the limit of their capacity to host rooftop solar in some areas without major investment in network upgrades. Alternatively, they may have to impose zero or very low export limits for new solar connections in congested areas. “We want more solar, not less,” said Paul Roberts, […]

Mint Innovation raises $20m to build gold biorefineries

Precious metals refiner Mint Innovation will start mining in Sydney next year. Then the New Zealand cleantech company has its sights on building a second biorefinery in North West England. Mint Innovation has raised NZ$20 million to help build those plants, which are based on its proprietary biometallurgical process and scalable platform. During successful trials at its first biorefinery in Auckland, Mint Innovation recovered significant amounts of gold and copper from crushed and powdered electronic waste. Dr Will Barker, Mint Innovation’s CEO, says the Series B capital raise was led by New Zealand technology investor Movac, with strong support from around the globe, including Blackbird Ventures and major long term investor Icehouse Ventures. “This raise gives us the capital we need to deploy our technology, starting with the Greater Sydney biorefinery in early 2021,” Dr Barker says. “Once commissioned, the plant will be able to process up to 3,500 tonnes of electronic waste each year. “That’s enough capacity to turn all the waste circuit boards in New South Wales into precious metals, including gold and copper. Ideally those metals will be sold back to local businesses, such as jewellers and manufacturers, creating a truly circular economy.” Movac partner David Beard says the future for Mint Innovation lies in its plant design and technology being licensed for biorefineries to be built in cities around the world. “With the disposal of e-waste a growing issue, as countries like Mainland China close their doors to importing waste, a disruptive cleantech company like Mint Innovation has the potential to establish a global footprint quite quickly,” he says. Dr Barker says the second plant is expected to start being built later next year. The North West of England has a heritage in chemical process innovation and Mint Innovation wants to bring clean tech to an […]

Manufacturing in the solar industry flourishing

The Australian solar industry is one of the few industries that hasn’t had to rely on overseas products. Despite the impact of Covid-19 on imports, manufacturing in the solar industry has been flourishing. Solar Mounting company Clenergy and local manufacturer Capral Aluminum recently partnered to produce a locally manufactured aluminum solar mounting rail known as the ‘Cutter Rail’. The following Q&A for Australian Manufacturing News www.australianmanufacturingnews.com has been answered by Sean Guzzi, National Channel Manager at Clenergy and Peter Darvell, General Manager South West Region at Capral Aluminium. What’s the current state of the solar industry and how do you see this growing in the future? Sean Guzzi: “Solar panels are getting larger and more efficient every day. From 2010, the dimensions of a solar panel were 1580 x 808mm (1.28m²), and today in 2020 it is about 1956 x 992mm (1.94m²), which is almost double in size. “As solar panels grow, the rails to mount the panel also have to grow. Just like a frame is to a painting, solar mounting equipment is to the solar panel. The mounting equipment aids to fasten the solar to the roof or the ground, using either the roof battens (which is the main structure of the house), concrete, or even ground screws, and provides enhanced aesthetics to the final solar project. ” As the solar panels adapt to the market with the desire for bigger solar systems, we at Clenergy adjust and grow to fit this new environment.” How does manufacturing locally help the industry? Sean Guzzi: “Clenergy was founded in 2007, and back then we predicted to be competitive within the market, we had to manufacture our products overseas. “Today, thirteen years later, we offer a locally made mounting structure, which is a first for the Australian solar industry. This helps […]

ASM produces heavy rare earth metal Dysprosium in Korea

Australian Strategic Materials through its partner Ziron Technology Corporation (Ziron Tech), has successfully produced 7.5 kg of a high purity dysprosium metal at its commercial pilot plant in South Korea. After producing 0.76 kg of the heavy rare earth metal last month, this second run confirms that it can be done at scale, marking the completion of the final key permanent magnet metals to be produced at the Ziron Tech facility. ASM has now produced neodymium, praseodymium, neodymium praseodymium alloy and dysprosium all key for permanent magnets through the commercial pilot plant using its innovative metallisation process. Work has commenced on the production of ferro-dysprosium zirconium metal. These are anticipated to be the final products metallised from material sourced from the Dubbo Project in central west NSW. ASM Managing Director, David Woodall said: “ASM is progressing further in its development to become an integrated mine to metal business, with the successful production of the heavy rare earth metal, dysprosium. With the production of these key permanent magnets metals and metal alloys, and the development of zirconium metal production, ASM is one step closer to converting all products from the Dubbo Project into value adding metals.” “Our focus is now on commencing the design and construction of a 250 kg per day continuous metal plant in Korea. This is the first phase of our strategy to develop a 3,000-5,000 tonne per year plant designed to meet some of the demand for critical materials in the Korean manufacturing sector. ASM continues to advance discussions for a potential partner in the metal business,” Mr Woodall said.

Preventure new product features to help employers with remote safety

Australian wearable technology startup Preventure has today announced the launch of a range of new product features, including free services for Australian businesses hit hard by the financial impact of Covid-19, which will help employers who are struggling to provide their workforce with enough health, safety and HR support remotely. The newest addition to the Preventure.Live smartphone app uses AI technology to automate the delivery of safety training, helping to prevent injuries in the workplace. Development of this feature was accelerated when Covid-19 hit, to provide existing Preventure customers with an alternative to face-to-face training. It completes Preventure’s risk identification/behavioural change loop, whereby wearable sensors record worker movement patterns, live feedback is provided around injury risk, and now, customised training modules are delivered in response to that risk. In addition, core Sports-themed injury prevention modules are accessible to businesses, and the team is generously offering a free version of the app, that includes these modules, to any business and their workers during these challenging times. Off the back of the lockdown which has seen most of Australia working from home for the last 6 months, the team at Preventure also built and launched a posture-monitoring product, aptly named ‘Office Coach’, that utilses a single back sensor (for manual handling, an arm sensor is also used). This is the team’s first foray into the corporate wellness space and the product can be described as a B2B wellness app, and a consumer posture product, rolled into one! Businesses who are concerned about employee home workstation setups, or looking to engage their remote teams, can purchase an account, sensors and monthly app subscriptions. The app provides slouch alerts, and stretch alerts, to reduce the risks associated with sustained posture, and also tracks steps, to encourage movement at a time where our incidental activity […]

SwitchDin chosen by EVO Power

EVO Power, an Australian energy storage system manufacturer, has chosen SwitchDin, an Australian energy management software company, to provide monitoring, management and advanced grid support functions for its PRIME energy storage systems, which are commercially available now. Developed for a wide range of grid-connect & off-grid applications, EVO Power’s PRIME series uses inverters from Australian manufacturer, Selectronic and battery technology supplied by LG Chem. Available in single and three phase solutions, the PRIME energy storage system is designed for high-end residential properties, regional properties that are prone to blackouts, off-grid residential and small scale commercial developments with energy storage capacities from 24kWh to 240kWh. Every EVO Power PRIME system comes with a SwitchDin Droplet allowing energy monitoring and management for all PRIME Power battery systems. SwitchDin’s Droplets also provides advanced data logging for warranty support and enables virtual power plant functionality. With EVO Power, SwitchDin demonstrates how manufacturers and their customers get the most out of their behind-the-meter assets by making them smart and visible to energy service companies. SwitchDin is delighted to welcome EVO Power to their ecosystem of more than 30 manufacturers from around the globe who rely on SwitchDin to manage and integrate their distributed energy assets on the vendor-agnostic technology platform. SwitchDin’s solar and battery vendor-agnostic platform supports product integrations with major manufacturers and integrators and connects them with many leading distribution networks and electricity retailers.

Corporate dysfunction on Indigenous affairs: Why heads rolled at Rio Tinto

Outraged investors have forced the board of Rio Tinto to sack its chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques along with two of the senior executives partially responsible for the destruction of the Juukan Gorge caves in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, which contained evidence of human habitation 46,000 years ago. Why did the company commit this egregious act? There are several layers to the answer. First, Rio Tinto’s iron ore division was under extreme production pressure. The iron ore in the vicinity of the caves was very high grade and the company needed as much of it as possible to mix with other grades so as to supply the market with its trademark Pilbara blend. Its reputation as a reliable supplier depended on it. Rio Tinto was siloed It was authorised under West Australian law to mine the area, even though this would destroy the caves, and it intended to exercise this legal right, regardless of any opposition. Second, Rio has a segmented organisational structure. It’s product divisions – iron ore, aluminium, copper and diamonds, minerals and energy – operate as autonomous business units with relatively little control from the corporate centre. When things go well, such an organisational structure is highly profitable for the corporation as a whole, because it leaves each product division free to take advantage of whatever opportunities there are in its particular market. But there is a downside. It leaves the corporation vulnerable to poor decision making by any one of its product divisions, decisions that may have disastrous human and environmental consequences that threaten the social license of the whole corporation. That is what has happened in the Juukan Gorge case. Organisational weakness Of course, Rio was aware of this downside of its organisational structure and had taken steps to deal with it. It had various functional lines – chains of command […]

Rio Tinto Executive Committee changes

Following the publication on 24 August 2020 of the Board Review of Cultural Heritage Management (the Board Review), undertaken in response to the destruction of the Juukan rockshelters in May 2020, the Board of Rio Tinto has engaged extensively with shareholders, Traditional Owners, Indigenous leaders and other stakeholders. While there is general recognition of the transparency of the Board Review and support for the changes recommended, significant stakeholders have expressed concerns about executive accountability for the failings identified. By mutual agreement, J-S Jacques will step down from his role as an executive director and Chief Executive of the Group. A process to identify his successor is underway. J-S will remain in his role until the appointment of his successor or 31 March 2021, whichever is earlier. This will ensure business continuity to maintain the strong performance of the Group’s global operations during Covid-19. Chris Salisbury will step down as Chief Executive, Iron Ore with immediate effect and will leave Rio Tinto on 31 December 2020. Ivan Vella, currently Managing Director for Rail, Port & Core Services within Rio Tinto Iron Ore, will replace him on an interim basis, following a handover period with Chris. Simone Niven will step down as Group Executive, Corporate Relations, and will leave the Group on 31 December 2020 after completing an orderly transition of her responsibilities. As previously announced, Rio Tinto is establishing a new Social Performance assurance function, reporting to Mark Davies, Group Executive, HSE, Technical and Projects, to strengthen oversight of communities and heritage practices and performance within the operations. In order to enhance Board engagement in Australia, Simon McKeon, non-executive director, is appointed Senior Independent Director, Rio Tinto Limited with immediate effect. This newly created Board role will complement the existing Senior Independent Director role, which will continue to be performed […]

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