Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Canberra-based food technology company Nourish Ingredients and its China-based partner, CABIO Biotech, have announced a major milestone. According to a statement on Wednesday, successful completion of the first commercial production of Tastilux, a “potent meaty fat”, is “a breakthrough in precision fermentation” and makes Nourish “the first fat company to achieve commercial-scale validation while maintaining a low cost of production.” It represents a 1700 per cent in production capacity so far, said Nourish Ingredients and meets 170,000 tonnes of end-product demand “due to very low inclusion rates.” The first batch is ready to ship to customers on three continents. Anna El Tahchy, Chief Technical Officer, said, “We are the first in the precision fermentation industry to demonstrate the unbeatable cost of production at this scale. A breakthrough that revolutionises the economic impact and validates the commercial path for precision fermentation.

Veolia waste transfer station denied

The Victorian EPA announced on Wednesday that after “a comprehensive, science-based assessment”, of Veolia’s Development Licence application for a waste transfer station at its Hampton Park site, the EPA has refused the proposal. The EPA added that its decision — taken after it after it determined the proposed station “does not meet the requirements of the Environment Protection Act 2017″ — is subject to appeal by Veolia. It cited “unacceptable risks to human health and the environment from the proposal, primarily from odour and noise emissions”, with close proximity of the proposed station to residential homes and other sensitive receptors. Local community feedback was considered during the assessment of the application. “As this matter is already before VCAT, further comment cannot be made at this time” it added, with the VCAT hearing set for August 11, 12, 14 and 15.

AusBiotech State Committee EOIs open

Life sciences industry body AusBiotech announced this week that Expressions of Interest to join their NSW, QLD, SA, VIC, and WA State Committees are now open. The committees are part of AusBiotech’s national network, providing “local insights, foster[ing] strong community connections, and help[ing] ensure our advocacy and initiatives are grounded in the real-world needs of our members across Australia.” Participation is voluntary, with up to 12 individuals per state serving two-year terms. You must be a member of AusBiotech to join its committees or advisory groups. Interest can be registered until April 30 at this link.

MyNu Energy receives backing

MyNu Energy, a Brisbane-based company in the sustainable energy storage, announced this week that it has secured a strategic investment from Melt Ventures. MyNu Energy, which re-purposes EV batteries to produce mass energy storage solutions, said it welcomed its first investment partner. Cofounder and Director Shaun Nugent said, “It is a great advantage having access to a partner who are not only experienced investors but also have deep expertise in manufacturing and in scaling companies from start up through to established global players.” Trent Bagnall, Managing Partner of Melt Ventures, said the investor “really liked MyNu Energy’s dual vision to help solve the growing EV battery waste disposal challenges and make safe, sustainable energy storage more accessible for corporations, government services and communities.” MyNu’s solutions include portable trailers for emergency response, events and other temporary power demands, through to large-scale container systems for remote communities, mining and large corporate demands.

Western Sydney Manufacturers Forum discusses decarbonisation

Manufacturing is a key part of the net zero by 2050 push, the Western Sydney Manufacturers Forum heard last week. Among solutions discussed were “green concrete”, carbon-tracking sensors and technology which can minimise carbon emissions during beer fermentation, according to organisers, with over 30 experts from universities, industry and government describing “multiple ways sustainability can deliver real-world impact, cost savings, and market differentiation for manufacturers.” Product Engineer at Macquarie University, Dr Martin Ams, said optical fibre sensors are helping utilities like Sydney Water contribute to net zero by predicting concrete corrosion in wastewater infrastructure. “Over time, concrete can actually capture and remove CO2 directly from the atmosphere through a process known as carbonation,” he said. Dr Victor Hernandez Moreno from UTS’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing described how digital twins can drive more sustainable production decisions for manufacturers, with his team operating two mirrored beer brewing facilities—in Sydney and Germany—that share a unified digital twin, allowing them to analyse data, enhance product quality, and reduce carbon emissions.

Community batteries boost UOW

A project is helping organisations install batteries that benefit the community and unlock potential revenue streams, with the University of Wollongong (UOW) to be one of the first to benefit, according to a statement from the university this week. The project received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and is being coordinated by Hydro Tasmania’s energy retailer Momentum Energy. It will see 10 community batteries installed at UoW, with a combined power capacity of 2 megawatts and a storage duration of two hours, and “will help the university reduce its electricity costs and unlock another income stream by connecting it to the Hydro Tasmania Virtual Power Plant, allowing excess solar PV or grid energy to be stored and sold into the National Electricity Market when needed.”

New rail facility to be built on the Gold Coast   

The Queensland government has awarded a $120 million contract to ADCO to build a new rail maintenance building at Ormeau, which will conduct maintenance on passenger trains built in Maryborough under the Queensland Train Manufacturing Program. According to a statement this week, the 20,000 square metre building will support more than 100 jobs during construction and around 140 jobs when operational, and play a key role in supporting the public transport network in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Minister for manufacturing Dale Last said, “This purpose-built rail facility is an important piece of the puzzle for the Queensland Train Manufacturing Program and will support the maintenance of the expanded fleet of trains being built right here”.