By John Blaxland, Australian National University Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to visit Washington in the next two weeks to announce the long-awaited roadmap for the AUKUS submarine agreement alongside UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. So, what’s involved, what’s at stake, and what are the challenges? Can Albanese balance…
NSW’s first hydrogen bus trial underway on Central Coast NSW’s first hydrogen-powered electric bus hit the streets of the Central Coast on Monday. “These hydrogen buses are the first step in growing our green hydrogen industry which is estimated to grow the NSW economy by an extra $600 million each year from 2030 onwards and…
FFI Gladstone takes shape Fortescue Future Industries’ new green manufacturing hub is taking shape in Gladstone, Queensland (pictured), according to construction material supplier Bosfa Pty Ltd. The company is supplying its Dramix steel fibre reinforced concrete to help build FFI’s new green energy production facilities. According to Bosfa: “This new 14,600m2 facility is the first…
What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to this site were reading. 5) GMG GETS APPROVALS TO BUILD GRAPHENE BATTERY PLANT AT BRISBANE Brisbane-based, Toronto-listed Graphene Manufacturing Group announced on Wednesday that it had the regulatory and council approvals needed to begin commercial-scale manufacturing of its novel batteries. To date…
Battery technology company Li-S Energy has announced a partnership with the ARC Research Hub for Safe and Reliable Energy (SafeREnergy) on a solid-state lithium sulfur battery cell development project. The project will combine Li-S Energy’s lithium sulfur and lithium metal technologies with solid-state solutions, with the potential to deliver higher performance and increased safety. Solid-state…
Upcoming report to look at boosting cell and gene manufacturing AusBiotech has commissioned research into what is required for Australia to manufacture more cell and gene products. There is an opportunity for Australia to be a regional hub in the Asia Pacific region for cell and gene manufacturing, yet there are a number of barriers,…
A team of researchers from Australian and UK universities has developed a proof-of-concept for “metasurface” technology, claiming strong advantages over LCD screens. The team from UNSW Canberra and the Australian National University, as well as the UK’s Nottingham Trent University, developed novel cells that are 100 times thinner and offer ten times the resolution –…
By Dylan McConnell, UNSW Sydney The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) this week released an update to its annual assessment of reliability, the so-called Electricity Statement of Opportunities. This has been reported as the market operator forecasting “power shortages”, or the network being “at risk of supply shortages”. The market operator has certainly put up…
Austin Engineering awarded $5 million for advanced manufacturing Perth mining equipment manufacturer Austin Engineering has been awarded a grant of up to $5 million from the WA government’s Investment Attraction Fund to boost advanced manufacturing capabilities at its Kewdale plant. The IAF seeks to bring investment, jobs and economic diversity to the state, increasing local…
By Grant Douglas, CSIRO There are around 440 nuclear power plants operating in 32 countries around the world, supplying some 10% of the world’s electricity. Another 60 reactors are under construction, and 300 more are proposed. Australia has only one reactor, used for research and medical purposes. But Australia typically produces more than 5,000 tonnes…
