Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, June 30 – July 4, 2025

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading.

5) Major Project status awarded to Northern Silica and Bonaparte Carbon Capture projects

The federal government has granted Major Project Status to two large-scale, renewable energy-related projects – the Northern Silica Project and Bonaparte Carbon Capture and Storage Project – and renewed that status for two others.

According to a statement from industry minister Tim Ayres on Thursday, Northern Silica (located north of Cairns) will produce “3 to 5 million tonnes of silica sand” annually for 25 years, with the mining project to supply “essential materials for domestic manufacturing of solar panels, silicon wafers and high-end electronics.” It is owned by Diatreme Resources.

The Inpex-led Bonaparte joint venture, located offshore northwest of Darwin, will “support emissions reductions in hard-to-abate sectors such as metal and chemical refining” and has claimed potential in developing “low-carbon industries in the region”.

4) CSIRO pioneers quantum leap in semiconductor modelling

Australian researchers have validated a quantum machine learning model for semiconductor fabrication on experimental data in what they described as a world-first that could reshape how future chips are designed.

A research team led by CSIRO demonstrated that quantum machine learning can outperform classical artificial intelligence in modelling Ohmic contact resistance, a critical process step in modern semiconductor device fabrication.

Published in the journal Advanced Science, the study presents what the researchers said was the first experimental validation of a quantum kernel method applied to real semiconductor process data.

3) Whyalla steelworks appoints new general manager

OneSteel Manufacturing announced on Monday the appointment of Amrit Mangat as the new general manager of operations at the Whyalla Steelworks.

Mangat steps into the lead role after 14 years and multiple roles at the Whyalla steelmaking operation. He joined the steelworks as a reliability engineer after five years as a senior engineer for Rolls Royce Energy Systems in Asia.

Mangat has held several business unit manager roles and served as acting general manager in 2023.

2) Nyrstar warns of ‘urgent, serious’ risk of smelter closure

Metal processor Nyrstar Australia urgently needs to secure a government rescue package to ensure a future for its loss-making smelters in South Australia and Tasmania, as The Australian Financial Review reports.

Chief executive Matt Howell said the company’s Swiss owner was weighing whether to close the plants within weeks.

Howell, who took over as chief executive of Nyrstar Australia in January, has been locked in talks with the federal, South Australian and Tasmanian governments for months on assistance. The three governments are now close to a deal, with an outcome expected as early as this week.

1) Boral boss Bansal to step down

SGH has announced that Boral CEO and Managing Director Vik Bansal will step down, with the transition to a new leader at SGH’s building products division expected “in early 2026”.

SGH, formerly known as Seven Group Holdings, said on Tuesday that it had worked with Bansal on “a structured succession to ensure a smooth leadership transition”.

Matt McKenzie, the current Executive General Manager – Concrete and Quarries (South), begins as Chief Operating Officer, effective July 1 (the same day as the announcement), “to support leadership continuity and drive ongoing momentum.”

And in case you missed our podcast…

In episode 120 of @AuManufacturing Conversations, Simran Gill learns about Australia’s pharmaceutical manufacturing challenges and the experts’ detailed proposals for sovereign medicine production. Featuring Dr Rosemary Wyber, Senior Research Fellow, The Kids Research Institute Australia; Associate Professor Glenn Pearson, Director of First Nations Strategy at The Kids Research Institute Australia; and Associate Professor Laurens Manning from The University of Western Australia.

And in episode 121, we hear from Realise Potential Founder and Director John Broadbent, who tells us about the worrying prevalence of fully-depreciated equipment in Australia’s industry, explains why a smart factory he helped build in 2011 has only become more productive in the years since, and more.

Picture: credit Boral