Environment

Circular Economy Awards launched in Australia & New Zealand

A new awards program, The Circle Awards, will celebrate and unite the businesses, organisations, projects and people shaping the circular economy in Australia and New Zealand. Established by The World’s Most Rubbish (TWMR) in partnership with NSW Circular, TheBravery, and Urban List, The Circle Awards aims to spotlight products and services adopting circular practices that span all aspects of our day-to-day lives. It also aims to grow awareness of the sustainable options available to more people, not just the ones who are already looking for them. In contrast to our current ‘take-make-waste’ linear model, a circular economy is regenerative by design. It’s about rethinking the entire approach in order to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems. Keeping resources in use for longer, and in a perpetual loop, or circle, reduces environmental impact and protects precious natural resources. Nick Hoskin, Co-Founder of TWMR and The Circle Awards said, “Many consumers andbrands are already contributing towards a more circular world, sometimes without realising it. “While we’re hearing the term ‘circularity’ or the ‘circular economy’ more than ever, the understanding of what this means, both in theory and practice, is limited. “The Circle Awards showcases tangible examples of circularity in action, demonstrating to people that we can consume more consciously without compromising on quality, cost or experience. In fact, circular design thinking is behind some of the most interesting products and services on the market as a driving force for innovation. “The result can be a far superior experience because every aspect in the process has been carefully considered to deliver the best possible outcome,” explained Nick. Importantly, The Circle Awards is here to recognise and celebrate those making progress in this space, not just those doing it perfectly or on a large scale, […]

Energy Renaissance to deliver defence-grade cybersecure battery management system with CSIRO and IMCRC

Energy Renaissance, an Australian lithium-ion battery manufacturer, will develop a defence-grade cybersecure Battery Management System (BMS) for its superStorage family of batteries that are to be manufactured in Tomago, NSW. The A$1.46 million BMS project is jointly funded and developed by Energy Renaissance with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO and the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC). The BMS will monitor and report on the battery’s usage, lifespan and faults through a mobile network to Energy Renaissance and their customers. Communicating through an inverter, the system will enable secure real time data, analytics and remote management to drive down the risk of battery failure and operating costs for grid-scale energy storage users. Brian Craighead, Technology and Development Director of Energy Renaissance said, “The collaboration between Energy Renaissance, CSIRO, and IMCRC will promote an Australian Battery Management System instead of relying on an overseas technology platform. Working together with CSIRO will ensure we can create a world-class defence-grade cybersecure Battery Management System that is fully developed and managed in Australia for critical energy storage infrastructures.” “Software designed and developed in Australia has a strong global reputation and we’ve built a history and track record as an industry. Through this project, we will demonstrate the advantage that Australian intellectual property can bring to a highly competitive energy storage market where a superior Battery Management System is critical for the operating efficiency of a battery.” Dr Adam Best, Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO said, “CSIRO is delighted to be working with Energy Renaissance to develop a Battery Management System that is the ‘nerve centre’ of a battery, and will make batteries safer, more affordable and optimised to operate in high temperature environments. Our partnership with Energy Renaissance validates CSIRO’s capabilities to collaborate, train and transfer skills for the advanced manufacturing of batteries.” David Chuter, CEO […]

BusTech Group electric bus producer

BusTech Group is already running a number of its hybrid buses on the public transport network in Adelaide. Co-located with sister company Brabham Automotive in Adelaide, South Australia, BusTech Group is gearing up to produce at least 60 electric buses for the NSW Government over the next 18 months after its recent inclusion on a list of approved electric bus suppliers. It also has orders for electric buses in Queensland, which it aims to start delivering in the second half of this year. BusTech says it is the only Australian bus company locally manufacturing zero-emission buses for the NSW market. Its 12.5-metre ZDi electric bus has been designed, engineered and will be built in Australia. The all-electric buses aimed at the NSW market will use a Proterra battery pack and drivetrain following a partnership with the US company. Owned by South Australia-based Fusion Capital, which also owns Brabham Automotive, the company rebranded as BusTech Group in December following the purchase of Queensland-based Bustech by its Edinburgh-based Precision Buses in 2019. BusTech Group executive chairman Christian Reynolds said the two bus manufacturers first collaborated under a licensing agreement back in 2017. “We could see the opportunity to take more of a leading position within the bus space so we worked through a transaction to acquire Queensland-based business Bustech to look at more of a national manufacturing and supplier footprint,” he said. “Fusion Capital saw the opportunity from the closure of Holden to bring together Tier 1 supply capability to basically look at how we could create a business from the stalled capacity within the vehicle space and that’s what has allowed us to move quite quickly. “We went from four vehicles built in 2016 to a run rate now where we are building between 250 and 300 a year.” The company […]

Aqueous water heater ends hot water wait

With the average mains supply tap spitting out 10-15 litres of water a minute, it doesn’t take long to become a water waster. And if you are running cold water down the sink while waiting for the hot water to come down the pipe, it is not only wasteful but frustrating. This problem has become larger as pipe runs in households and businesses have become longer, as many premises get larger. Now, the water often has to run a lot further than before from the main water heater, before it comes out hot at the tap. And when you turn off the hot tap again, the hot water sucked into those long pipes cools down again. “It can become a double whammy – you waste more cold water running it down the sink while you spend more money heating it up to travel longer distances to get to you,” says Jay King, who has engineered a solution to the problem in the shape of Aus J’s ruggedly engineered Aqueous MK2 6-litre compact water heater. The Aqueous MK2 6-litre water heater from Aus J Hot Water Solutions is the most compact model yet, designed to provide domestic, commercial, hospitality, food and beverage, and industrial users with near-instant hot water while saving time, energy, water and frustration. With dimensions of just 305 by 305 by 304 mm, it is designed to sit snugly in cupboards near the tap, or under the floor just below them. It is so compact that it is also used in portable catering vehicles and boats, where space is precious, to ensure immediate hot water for washing, hygiene and convenience. Aqueous 6L and 10L models are available in 240v and 12v models, while the complementary Aus J Duoetto 10L water heater incorporates automatically switched 12v/240v operation. The compact […]

Students and SMEs hold key to ending waste

Robots that can sort e-waste ready for recycling and 100 per cent biodegradable food storage inspired by bananas are just two of the award-winning ideas from the inaugural India-Australia Circular Economy (I-ACE) Hackathon held this month, hosted by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and NITI Aayog Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). Almost 80 teams of students and small and medium businesses from India and Australia turned their collective minds to solving the world’s global challenges with a focus on stopping waste and creating sustainable business practices. The concept of the I-ACE Hackathon originated last year at a virtual summit where the Prime Ministers of both countries committed to working together on circular economy innovation initiatives. Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modi expressed his words of appreciation to the young innovators. “All participants of this circular economy hackathon are winners and commend your spirit to innovate in this time of COVID 19. We are not the owners of all that mother earth has to offer, but merely its trustees for all the future generations to come,” Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi stated. “We [India and Australia] must explore ways to scale up innovative ideas and must look at consumption patterns and reduce ecological impact, not only in two countries but for the whole world. “Recycling, reusing, eliminating waste and improving resource efficiency should become part of our lifestyle. “The Power of youth comes from openness to new ideas, innovation and ability to take risk. “The strong India and Australia relationship will play an important role in shaping the post covid world.” Teams of Australia and India’s brightest students and most innovative start-ups targeted problems such as reducing packaging waste, avoiding waste in food supply chains, reducing plastics waste, and recycling critical energy metals and e-waste. CSIRO Chief Executive Dr […]

Time for change

Australia is the world’s largest producer of bauxite — the ore that is chemically processed to produce alumina — and has numerous aluminium refineries and smelters across the country. Australia’s dependence on aluminium is evident in all areas of infrastructure — even windows and doors. However, the high energy costs of aluminium smelters are driving the market towards new materials.. Since the first aluminium smelter opened in Tasmania in 1955, the aluminium industry has been a key contributor to the Australian economy. As of 2018, the industry produced 96 million tons of aluminium bauxite. While the volume of aluminium offers opportunities for a range of sectors and products, its production is carbon emitting. Reducing emissions from aluminium production is a challenge of its own but replacing some of its uses with composites can help create more sustainable buildings. Composites such as fibreglass are already used in building applications such as roof, wall and floor insulation — though composite windows and doors are still a rare sight in Australia. Thermal insulation Summer temperatures frequently reach 40 degrees Celsius, so air conditioning is a vital system to help keep buildings cool. In fact, it’s thought that 49 per cent of Australians have some form of air conditioning unit in their homes. However, air conditioning requires a lot of power to run. The average central air conditioning unit uses 3,000 to 5,000 watts of power for nine hours of cooling a day. According to Australian electricity provider Blue NRG, ten per cent of the world’s energy use is spent on air conditioning. A typical home loses around 40 per cent of its energy through windows and doors. If a building’s entry and exit points are not thermally efficient, all that cool air risks — quite literally — going out the door. Aluminium is a […]

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Coal is passé in much of China

Australian coal exports to China plummeted last year. While this is due in part to recent trade tensions between Australia and China, our research suggests coal plant closures are a bigger threat to Australia’s export coal in the long term. China unofficially banned Australian coal in mid-2020. Some 70 ships carrying Australian coal have reportedly been unable to unload in China since October. This is obviously bad news for Australia’s coal exporters. But even if the ban is lifted, there’s no guarantee China will start buying Australian coal again – at least not in huge volumes. China is changing. It’s announced a firm date to reach net-zero emissions, and governments in eastern provinces don’t want polluting coal plants taking up prime real estate. It’s time Australia faced reality, and reconsidered its coal export future. First, the coal ban In May last year, China’s government effectively banned the import of Australian coal, by applying stringent import quotas. As of last month coal exports to China from Newcastle, Australia’s busiest coal exporting port, had ceased. In 2019, Australia exported A$13.7 billion worth of coal to China. This comprised A$9.7 billion in metallurgical coal for steel making and A$4 billion in thermal coal for electricity generation. The latest official Australian data shows these export levels fell dramatically between November 2019 and November 2020. Comparing the two months, metallurgical and thermal coal exports to China were down 85% and 83% respectively. Several Chinese provinces experienced power blackouts in late 2020. China’s state-backed media said the shortages were unrelated to the ban on Australian coal. Instead, they blamed cold weather and the recovery in industrial activity after the pandemic. We dispute this claim. While Australian coal accounts for only about 2% of coal consumption in China, it helps maintain reliable supply for many power stations in China’s southeast coastal provinces. Coal mining in China mostly occurs in the western […]

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, […]

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