Manufacturing news briefs - stories you might have missed

Green Industries SA has funded a report by The McKell Institute outlining a vision for South Australia to emerge as an Australian lithium ion battery waste resource management hub. The report finds that the state is in a strong position given existing refining and metals processing assets, and this opportunity could create over 300 jobs in the medium term. Among the recommendations for government consideration are collaborating with industry to improve EV and lithium ion battery waste management, incentivising international start-ups in the second life battery industry to establish themselves in SA, and working to leverage SA’s existing industrial and manufacturing assets. Existing metal processing assets include large smelters for lead and other metals in Port Pirie and steel in Whyalla.

Siemens’ charging infrastructure and management software will be involved in three trials underway the Victorian Government’s $20 million three-year Zero Emissions Bus Trial. The trials will be in regional city Seymour, Traralgon and Sunbury in suburban Melbourne in association with the introduction of electric buses. Siemens’ Sicharge UC charging centre and dispensers will be used to charge battery electric Volvo buses and Custom Denning buses. Siemens Depotfinity charging management software will be used to monitor the real-time status of charging infrastructure, analyse historical charging sessions and adopt smart load management strategies to minimise electricity expenditure. This information will feed into assessments of how electric buses perform and the energy and charging requirements for different types of routes.

Ingredients and food manufacturer McKenzie’s Foods has extended its existing range of pulses to include new quick-cooking mixed legumes and grains known as Pulse Plus in readiness for the winter months. McKenzie’s has been a trusted food manufacturer for 170 years and boasts a wide range of grains and legumes. The new Pulse Plus range includes Lentils & Medium Grain Rice; Peas, Lentils & Brown Rice, and Peas & Long Grain Rice and offers consumers a unique blend that has ease of use in mind. Pulse Plus are pre-mixed and available in 350g packs and cook in 30 minutes without soaking overnight. The products will appear in supermarkets this month.

Australian Cyber Security Centre and others issue joint advisory on vulnerabilities

This week a new Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) report was released, co-authored by cybersecurity authorities from the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The report details the common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) frequently exploited by malicious cyber actors, including the 15 most commonly exploited CVEs of 2021. Of those, three reappeared from the 2020 list. The authors, including the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the USA’s FBI and NSA, encourage the application of recommendations in the mitigations section in the CSA. “This report should be a reminder to organizations that bad actors don’t need to develop sophisticated tools when they can just exploit publicly known vulnerabilities,” said NSA Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce. It can be read here.

Southern Launch appoints new GM of launch and test

Southern Launch has appointed Rob Baker in the new role of General Manager – Launch & Test. According to a statement from the Adelaide-headquartered launch service provider, Baker has a background including 21 years at Defence Science and Technology Group, with experience and knowledge in weapons modelling and simulation, probabilistic range safety methodology and implementation, and active protection systems for armoured vehicles. Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said “Rob brings with him the breadth of knowledge regarding rocket range safety and rocket modelling and simulation. The recent announcement of ADISCA and bringing Rob into the team aligns with Southern Launch’s increasing capability to support Australia’s strategic space and defence ambitions.”

Victorian government awards $750,000 in grants under Small Scale and Craft Program

The Victorian government has awarded ten grants of between $25,000 and $100,000 to Victorian producers under its Small Scale and Craft Program. Among recipients were Kingston Collective, which received $43,000 for its Bayside Beer Belt project, supporting the creation of the Bayside Beer Belt tours for visitors to a collection of local craft breweries.

Energy Next event invites attendees to register

Energy Next, a free-to-attend industry event focussing on renewable energy and energy management technologies and to be held alongside the Clean Energy Council’s Australian Clean Energy Summit, is welcoming registrations. The event will be held at Sydney’s
International Convention Centre (ICC) on July 19 and 20. “The combination of Energy Next with the Australian Clean Energy Summit offers significant added value by giving attendees first-hand exposure to the technologies and innovations driving Australia’s clean energy transition,” said Kane Thornton, Chief Executive at the Clean Energy Council. Energy Next will hold technical sessions, workshops and networking opportunities, and be run according to three themes: technology, the future energy mix, and research and development. More information is available at this link.

Hydrogen Council welcomes announcement for hydrogen hubs

A commitment of a further $82 million for two hydrogen hubs in the Hunter Region underlines the area’s strategic advantages in the move to net zero, the Australian Hydrogen Council (AHC) has said. The recent Federal Budget committed $100m for early works to make the Port of Newcastle hydrogen-ready, and this week pledged another $41m to the Port of Newcastle and $41m for Origin Energy’s Hydrogen Hub. AHC CEO Dr Fiona Simon said co-locating hydrogen users and producers in areas with access to port, road and rail infrastructure is an important step forward, adding, “The Hunter ticks all those boxes and also offers a large workforce that’s ready to make the transition to a hydrogen economy a reality.”

Adherium announces new respiratory platform integration tools

ASX-listed connected respiratory health business Adherium has announced the release of its latest integration tools for its Hailie platform, with a new advanced rest application programming interface (API) and a new updated software development kit (SDK) to improve connection with partner and customer patient management systems. “Alongside the progressive release of inhaled medication sensors capturing both adherence and physiological parameters, today’s announcement marks a significant step forward in advancing the integration vision of Adherium’s respiratory platform and delivers on another key milestone in our infrastructure enhancements roadmap,” said Geoff Feakes, the company’s CTO.

Key milestone passed for Genex Kidston pumped hydro energy project

Construction has begun on Wises Dam, a critical part of the $777 million Genex Kidston pumped hydro energy project. The dam, which is the project’s upper reservoir, would be able to deliver up to 4.5 gigalitres of water to spin the project’s two 125 megawatt turbines for up to 8 hours, said state energy minister Mick de Brenni. Genex Power and its partners are converting the former Kidston Gold Mine into a clean energy hub, combining wind, solar and pumped hydro storage. “Commencement of Wises Dam construction this month marks a significant milestone for the project as this is the largest piece of surface construction work, said Genex CEO James Harding. “We are now one year into the project delivery phase, and with site establishment complete and construction activities in full swing we are on track to commence generation before the end of 2024.”