The Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FBICRC) has announced Australia’s first sodium-sulphur (NAS) battery has been installed at the IGO Nova nickel-copper-cobalt mine site. The 250 kW/1.45 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) demonstration unit will provide long-duration storage, according to FBICRC Chief Executive Officer Shannon O’Rourke. O’Rourke said: “The NAS battery technology is…
Japanese car maker Suzuki Motor Corporation and Australian technology company Applied Electric Vehicles have signed a memorandum of understanding which will see the pair co-develop a new four-wheel-drive. Applied EV was formed in 2015 and unveiled its autonomous Blanc Robot platform early in 2021. An agreement with Suzuki followed in September that year, and Suzuki…
Space operations company Saber Astronautics, has won a $6.6 million Defence Innovation Hub contract to transform existing space telescopes into space traffic sensors. Following an initial $2.1 million Defence Innovation Hub contract in 2019, this new contract is for a third phase of development applying advanced algorithms to combine data from multiple different suppliers such…
Technology development company the Hazer Group has announced a partnership that is preparing for the development of a commercial scale, up to 100,000 tonne per annum facility to be built in Japan utilising its Hazer process to produce hydrogen from biogas. The Perth company said the initial capacity of the plant, to be built with…
Aerospace composites business Quickstep Holdings expects to finalise volumes by the end of the year for a five-year follow-on contract to supply Lockheed Martin with C-130J Hercules trailing edge flaps. Quickstep announced on Monday it had agreed binding contractual terms with the US company for the follow-on work, expected to be worth up to $96…
Defence SMEs are essential to the economic success of the AUKUS partners Australia, the UK and the US according to a just released white paper. The report, by the CEO of defence consulting firm ADROITA Sarah Pavillard, said while defence needs were core to AUKUS, industry in the three countries needed to reach out to…
Today we publish another profile of a nominee for our Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers list. Brent Balinski speaks to Lachie Smart about how a small Sunshine Coast-based manufacturer found a niche it could lead the world in. For many successful Australian manufacturers, the source to their success could be described as excelling globally within…
By Peter Roberts The Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) just announced procurement of a dedicated undersea support vessel along with other perplexing decisions by defence are raising questions over whether there is a sufficient focus in Canberra about buying from Australian companies. After a selection process led by an independent broker, the Norwegian flagged MV Normand…
Shipbuilder Austal has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Swedish ferry operator Gotlandsbolaget for the design of Gotland’s next catamaran, Horizon X (pictured). The Horizon X high-speed catamaran will be able to operate on hydrogen and other fossil-free fuels and run at 35 knots, while transporting 1,650 passengers and up to 450 vehicles. Under the…
Waratah Seed, Australia’s first ride-share satellite mission will fly an Australian-built 6U CubeSat into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher in October, 2023. SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is committing $1 million to support the development of new space technology that will be tested in space as payloads on the Waratah…