What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to this site were reading.
GUPTA PLANS EXPANSION OF WHYALLA IRON ORE AND GREEN STEEL – REPORTS
GFG Alliance chairman Sanjeev Gupta has announced a massive boost to his Whyalla, South Australia iron ore mining operations as well as the production of green steel from hydrogen via direct reduction.
The told the Australian Hydrogen Conference in Perth that GREENSTEEL pellets will underpin the future of steel production utilising hydrogen, calling them the mineral equivalent of a 1999 vintage Penfolds Grange.
“We could, of course, just sell them on, and no doubt we shall be doing that as well. But in line with our philosophy of climbing the value chain, we will also be making and selling the wine, not just exporting the grapes,” said Gupta.
“Using hydrogen made in the South Australian government’s electrolyser, we’ll be producing high-grade green iron using green hydrogen.”
NSW TRANSPORT PURCHASING COST 4,000 JOBS – TIM AYRES
Assistant Minister for Trade and for Manufacturing Tim Ayres has criticised NSW government purchasing policies that has led to numerous faults and the need for rework of public transport equipment.
Speaking on Sky News, Ayres said: “This Liberal Government in New South Wales off‑shored wave after wave of rail rolling stock, trams and ferries.
“Effective independent studies have underscored that that’s cost at least 4,000 jobs, just out of three of the five of those big infrastructure projects off‑shored.”
GOVERNMENT LOOKS TO REVIVE WOOL PROCESSING
Few remember the time when Australia had an extensive wool processing, spinning and weaving sector, but producers have begun eyeing the possibility that those days may yet come again, writes Peter Roberts.
Part of the textile clothing sector, the wool value chain was decimated by cheap Chinese competition, but also by predatory trade policies that could well have been resisted at the time had we chosen to do so.
China nabbed the value-added part of the wool supply chain by the simple mechanism of levying an import duty on processed wool, thereby encouraging onshore processing.
ADDITIVE ASSURANCE CLOSES $4.1 MILLION FUNDING ROUND
Additive Assurance, a Monash University spinout developing in-process quality assurance technology for 3D printing, has announced the successful completion of a $4.1 million funding round.
The raise was led by Significant Capital Ventures (SCV) – which will gain a seat on AA’s board – and supported by Hostplus, with existing investors IP Group Australia and Monash Investment Holdings.
The new funds will support hiring of more R&D and business development staff, plus “establishment of an Additive Manufacturing quality assurance centre of excellence” at the company’s Melbourne headquarters.
K-TIG TO DEMONSTRATE HIGH SPEED WELDING TO US NAVY
Welding technology developer K-TIG along with two shipbuilding partners is to demonstrate the suitability of K-TIG technology for the repair and sustainment of US Navy warships.
The company has been awarded a research project under the US Navy’s National Shipbuilding Research Program to demonstrate the suitability of its advanced form of Keyhole Tungsten Inert Gas (K-TIG) technology.
K-TIG is the lead in the project titled Breakthrough Welding Process for Pipe and Plate, and will be working with partners Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) and The Edison Welding Institute (EWI).
Picture: Key Plant Automation