Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Andrew Reeves to retire from Inghams as CEO and MD

Inghams Group has announced that its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Andrew Reeves (pictured) will retire from the role in mid-2025, to be replaced by the CEO of its New Zealand business, Edward Alexander. The Chair of Inghams, Helen Nash, said: “Andrew has done an exceptional job leading the business since his appointment in early 2021, successfully stabilising the business and optimising its performance. Andrew will leave the business in a sound operating and financial position, with solid  underlying fundamentals and positioned for future growth.”

DroneShield opens for business in Latin America

Drone detection and countermeasure manufacturer DroneShield has expanded presence in Latin America with the appointment of Carlos Gutierrez as its Regional Director. Gutierrez brings extensive experience in technology and enterprise sales, having worked as a Global Portfolio Manager at SES Satellites, and as Sr. Regional Sales Manager at Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, in Mexico City. Recent incidents highlight the pressing need for advanced counterdrone measures in Latin America. In Mexico, drones are increasingly used by cartels for surveillance and smuggling, complicating law enforcement effort. Expanding boots-on-the-ground into Latin America allows DroneShield to tackle these challenges head-on,” said Oleg Vornik, CEO of DroneShield.

Robert Cole to retire as Iluka Resources chair

Developing rare earths miner Iluka Resources has announced that Rob Cole has retired as Chairman and Non-Executive Director, following a health issue. Andrea Sutton will continue as Iluka’s Acting Chair, pending a Board decision on a permanent Chair. Under Cole's leadership Iluka has moved from a mineral sands producer to the developer of a $1.7 billion rare earths refinery, the first in Australia. Sutton said: “Rob joined Iluka’s Board in March 2018 and was appointed Chair in April 2022. The company has evolved considerably during Rob’s tenure, during which he has overseen the demergers of Detera Royalties and Sierra Rutile and, most notably,”Iluka’s diversification into rare earths.”

NH3 secures $725,000 to advance WAH2 project

Ammonic producer NH3 Clean Energy (formerly Hexagon Energy Materials) has successfully completed a capital placement of $725,000 to advance its WA ammonia project, WAH2 to the FEED-entry stage. The project aims to produce low emissions ammonia for export to Asia. Strong support was received from existing shareholders and new sophisticated investors, including institutional participation and from the company chairman. Funds will be applied to the completion of Pre-FEED, finalising commercial around additional gas supply, CO2 sequestration and infrastructure access to support FEED entry and for corporate costs.

Opal reactor powers up after shutdown

Australia's sole nuclear reactor, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation's (ANSTO) Opal reactor at Lucas Heights in Sydney has restarted following a months-long planned shutdown to carry out essential maintenance and upgrades. These involved replacement of OPAL’s cold neutron source, located next to the reactor core. The three-metre-tall device slows down neutrons as they travel from the OPAL reactor through to the large scientific neutron beam instruments, allowing researchers and industry to look at the structure of materials in atomic detail. ANSTO’s General Manager for the OPAL Reactor David Vittorio said: “OPAL is one of the most advanced and reliable research reactors in the world and is the centrepiece to some of ANSTO’s research and commercial operations at Lucas Heights.”

Proteomics International receives R&D Tax Incentive

Biotechnology group Proteomics International Laboratories has received a R&D Tax Incentive refund from the federal government of $2.6 million for the 2023-24 financial year. The payment is for ongoing research on its novel diagnostic blood tests for diabetic kidney disease, endometriosis and esophageal cancer. In 2023-24 the company spent $4.95 million on R&D, with the new funding also supporting the establishment of the company's US arm.

Alpha HPA reaches contractual close for $400 million

Chemicals company Alpha HPA announced on Tuesday that it has reached contractual close with Export Finance Australia (EFA) and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF), securing what it says is “pivotal debt funding for Stage Two” of its High Purity Alumina (HPA) project in Gladstone, Queensland. Alpha — which has developed a near-zero waste solution to produce high-purity aluminium materials with up to 70 per cent lower carbon emissions versus traditional methods — said it has executed binding documentation for $400 million in senior debt financing, including a $320 million construction facility, and an $80 million cost overrun facility, with competitive interest rates and an 11-year tenor from Financial Close. Managing Director Rimas Kairaitis, said, “This milestone consolidates the funding commitment and builds further on our confidence in establishing the world’s largest, single site high purity aluminium materials facility manufacturing the high-tech materials essential for the global energy transition.”

Refrigerant guide for heat pumps released

A new guide has been developed by the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP) and the RACE for 2030 Cooperative Research Centre, aimed at helping users select heat pumps for industrial and commercial applications. The guide for heat pump installers, released on Wednesday, “explains the limitations of certain refrigerants due to issues such as flammability and global warming potential (GWP) and a refrigeration choice decision tree to simplify the selection process.” Heat pumps are growing in popularity as a replacement for boilers for hot water supply as businesses move away from gas. Jarrod Leak, Chief Executive Officer of A2EP, said a recent report by IEEFA Australia showed that heat pumps can electrify industrial processes and replace up to 17 per cent of the nation’s gas use. “We see this guide as essential for making the safest and most appropriate choices as the numbers of heat pump installations and installers rise significantly over the next few years,” Leak added. The free guide can be accessed here.

QuantX delivers optical atomic clocks

High-precision timing and quantum sensor developer QuantX Labs has announced the delivery of two state-of-the-art optical atomic clocks under its contracts with Defence Australia. In a post on Linkedin on Wednesday, the company said the optical atomic clocks fall under AUKUS Pillar II. The devices “will enable #AUKUS partners to develop advanced precision navigation and timing capabilities and marks a major milestone for QuantX as this represents our second product successfully translated out of Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) at the University of Adelaide. We’re immensely proud to fulfil this milestone and contribute to the future of precision timing technology, creating impact at home and globally.”

Monash awarded $49 million in Ideas Grants

Monash University has secured over $49 million in funding for 40 projects in the latest round of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Ideas Grants — more than any other university in Australia — it announced on Wednesday. According to Monash, it reflects its “leadership in health and medical research and its commitment to tackling critical global challenges” and spans “diverse and impactful areas”. Research includes exploring nanomedicine to treat preterm brain injuries, pioneering new therapies for acute leukemia, and refining antibiotic dosing strategies to combat drug-resistant bacteria. The grant scheme funds research across all areas of health and medicine, supporting projects from early discovery through to implementation, and is open to researchers at all career stages.

Picture: Andrew Reeves/departing Inghams Group