Alpha HPA begins work on second stage battery metals plant
Aluminium chemicals company Alpha HPA has begun site construction activities for Stage 2 of its $500 million high purity alumina battery metals precursor plant at Gladstone, Queensland with with earthworks activities now underway (pictured). The plant is capable of producing 10,000 tonnes of HPA equivalent per year. Alpha’s Managing Director Rimas Kairaitis said: “We are extremely pleased to advise that construction of Stage 2 of the HPA First Project, a major milestone which will build the world’s largest, single site facility for the manufacture of high purity aluminium materials, has commenced. We look forward to providing updates on the progress of the construction of Stage 2 as the project advances.”
XRF Scientific’s record full year
Scientific equipment and chemicals manufacturer XRF Scientific has announced a record full-year result with Net Profit After Tax up 16 percent to $8.9 million on revenue up nine percent to $60.1 million. The mining analysis and laboratory equipment manufacturer reported • June Q4 Profit Before Tax of $3.3 million and Sales Revenue of $16.2 million. XRF Managing Director Vance Stazzonelli said: “During the year we saw strong levels of activity, which was mainly driven by the mining industry. International sales growth continued in key markets across Europe, Asia and the Americas.” The company’s consumables division reported revenues of $18.8 million while capital equipment reported revenue of $21.8 million.
Queensland shows off its locally made train
A state-of-the-art Low Fidelity train mock-up, built in Maryborough, Queensland has been undergoing testing with members of the disability sector, as part of a co-design process. The testing ensures the new train design is compliant, functional and accessible for all passengers, and comes as major accessibility upgrades were completed across all 75 New Generation Rollingstock trains. The 65 six-car QTMP trains will be compliant with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (DSAPT) and will be the most accessible rollingstock in Australia when the first train is manufactured and begins testing in late 2026. All 65 QTMP trains are expected to be in service by 2032, in time for the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Cleanaway Waste Management records record year
Waste handling group Cleanaway Waste Management has announced a Statutory Net
Profit of $158.2 million for the year ended 30 June 2024, up from $23.5 million in the prior corresponding period. Underlying NPAT grew by 14.8 percent for the period to $170.6 million, $12.4 million higher than the Statutory NPAT. Revenue was up 7.7 percent to $3.2 billion. Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Cleanaway Mark Schubert said: “In FY24, our record underlying EBIT growth rate of 18.9 percent was driven by the completion of our Queensland Solids restoration programmr, the transformation of our Health Services business and a solid underlying performance from across the Group. Through the execution of our Blueprint 2030 operational excellence initiatives and disciplined price management, we increased our EBIT margin by 100 basis points to 11.2 percent, up from 10.2 percent last year.”
Italy tender win for Xprecia Prime
Diagnostic test systems manufacturer Universal Biosensors’ distribution partner in Italy has won another tender with coagulation analyser Xprecia Prime. The tender is to supply two Health Authorities in the north of Italy and includes approximately 45,000+ test strips per annum and 53 Xprecia Prime devices for a term of three years and is valued at more than $450,000. This is UBI’s second tender win in Italy for Xprecia Prime in recent months.
Ridley Corporation improves cashflow with disciplined capital management
Animal feed manufacturer Ridley Corporation has reported NPAT of $42.3 million for the year to 30 June 2024 on revenue up 0.2 percent to $1.26 billion. EBITDA was up 1.7 percent to $90 million. The operating cashflow of $107.7 million was an improvement on FY23 of $6.0 million, supported by disciplined working capital management, the increased usage of a trade payables facility and lower tax payments due to timings, according to the company. In FY24, there was maintenance capex of $14.5 million and $18.4 million in growth capex including the expansion projects at the Clifton and Pakenham Feedmills and the new company’s Narangba Packing facility.
UQ, ARM Hub agree to four-year partnership
The University of Queensland and the not-for-profit Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub have announced a four-year partnership, which the pair says will enable them “to enhance robotics and artificial intelligence capabilities in government and industry manufacturing priority areas, including energy, medical and agricultural sectors.” Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (EAIT) Executive Dean, Professor Sue Harrison, said on Wednesday that connecting “the expertise and ideas of UQ researchers with industry and government [will] support the translation of research, creating tangible economic and social impact for the community, industry and global partners.” ARM Hub CEO Professor Cori Stewart said the organisations and their industry partners will “continue building a world class digital ecosystem in Australia that embraces safe and responsible AI, and boosts commercialisation and business growth.”
OnRobot and DCISIV Technologies develop collaborative palletiser
Automation company OnRobot and Queensland robotics company DCISIV Technologies have announced the introduction an off-the-shelf collaborative palletiser in Australia. According to the pair, the solution is suited to SMEs and offers same-day installation, requires no programming and can be re-deployed within minutes. Ben Leamon Director of DCISIV, said that the recent launch of PalletProX, in conjunction with OnRobot’s D:PLOY platform, will reduce the barriers to entry. “The system is designed with functionality and ease of install, service and maintenance in mind. Additionally, we have made it flexible to accommodate multiple pallet sizes,” said Leamon. PalletProX is described as an OMRON TM25 equipped with an OnRobot VGP20 gripper, OR:Base Controller and D:PLOY software license.
WA government relaunches support service for regional small businesses
The Western Australian government announced the relaunch of a free advisory service, the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC), for regional WA businesses this week. According to a statement, the Corporation will provide more accessible support through SBDC Regional, which replaces Business Local regional, and allow businesses to “easily seek free advice on a range of topics from scaling up and digital marketing, to cyber security and dispute resolution.” Business owners can also take advantage of low-cost skills development workshops on topics tailored to the unique needs of their area, as well as the SBDC’s range of business tools and templates. More information is available here.
Harvest B seeks BDM
Alternative proteins company Harvest B is seeking a National Business Development Manager to join its team. According to a listing on Linkedin from the company, “you will be at the forefront of our growth strategy, responsible for identifying and securing new business opportunities while nurturing and expanding our existing client base. Your role will be pivotal in driving our mission forward, leveraging your sales expertise and passion for innovation to make a significant impact.” More information on the role is available here.
Picture: Alpha HPA
