Rio Tinto will study whether hydrogen can replace natural gas in alumina refineries to reduce emissions with a $1.2 million feasibility study. Equally funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the study will use clean hydrogen to replace natural gas in the calcination process of refining at the Yarwun alumina refinery in Gladstone. The…
The Australian Missile Corporation (AMC) has signed up two new SME partners in its collaboration developing an indigenous consortium to develop a sovereign guided weapons enterprise. AMC, a subsidiary of Queensland munitions manufacturer NIOA, has added Milspec Manufacturing and Thomas Global Systems to its partners. They join a collaboration that includes Quickstep, Black Sky Aerospace,…
The growing dynamism of Australia’s regional cities has not been well recognised or appreciated. Here Robert Masters suggests linking regional manufacturing growth to the Modern Manufacturing Strategy through a campaign to highlight the regions. Regional Australian manufacturers often underappreciated – yet they must play a key role in future if Australia is to be recognised…
Hydrogen technology company Patriot Hydrogen is to supply two modular hydrogen production units to Port Anthony Renewables which is developing a green energy and green hydrogen hub at the port, 180 kilometres south-east of Melbourne. Patriot will supply two P2H hydrogen units (pictured), each with a capacity to produce one tonne of hydrogen a day…
By Peter Roberts It is getting harder by the day to continue thinking that Australia is not making a hash of our most expensive and complex defence program – building 12 Attack class submarines at a cost of $90 billion. The government has finally given clarity whether three or all six of our Collins boats…
A secret report into the future of industry growth centres has pointed to design weaknesses in the growth centre model and inadequate funding to affect outcomes at a sectoral level. With the federal government believed to favour abolishing the centres, Paul Hodgson points the way ahead.
Monash University scientists have developed a new process for the production of ammonia that could cut the carbon-intensity of industrial production globally. Professor Doug MacFarlane, Dr Bryan Suryanto and Dr Alexandr Simonov in a paper in the prestigious journal, Science, suggested replacing the current metal catalysed Haber-Bosch process for producing ammonia with one based on…
Archer progresses biochip design Archer Materials has established chip testing and measurement operations (pictured) to support its development of a graphene-based biochip for point-of-care medical diagnostics. The capability has been established at a cleanroom at the University of Sydney’s semiconductor research and prototype foundry. The establishment of the facility allows Archer to progress to the…
A Victorian gold mine and a regionally based mining equipment manufacturer have collaborated to develop sophisticated technologies to automate gold processing plants. Since 2018 Stawell Gold Mine and Gekko Systems of Ballarat have installed new equipment and developed new processes to optimise processing. SGM, owned by private equity group Arete Capital Partners, first installed a…
Probiotec grows as suppliers onshore production Pharmaceutical manufacturer and packing company company Probiotec has increased its sales and earnings guidance for FY21 following its acquisition of packing business Multipack-LJM and interest from customers in onshoring their production. The company expects to make an underlying operating profit (EBITDA) up 75 per cent to more than $29…
