By Bruce Mountain, Victoria University Imagine if Australian cities became major producers of clean energy, rather than relying on far-flung solar and wind farms. Far fetched? Hardly. Our cities and towns are full of warehouses, commercial areas, shopping centres and factories. These types of buildings have one very important underutilised resource – large expanses of…
The clean Energy Finance Corporation’s work of co-investing alongside private sector funds has never been more important than in 2024. Here in his investment update for 2023-24 CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth writes of a year of investment opportunities and constraints, of emissions progress and the increasingly personal impacts of climate change. As a specialist investor…
By Professor Akbar Rhamdhani You might not know it, but critical minerals are the hidden engine powering our daily lives. They drive the functionality of our electronics, medical devices and renewable energy systems. Without them, our world would grind to a standstill and the technology we rely on every day, such as smartphones and laptops,…
CSIRO has released what it says is a world-first assessment providing “a comprehensive overview” of innovation opportunities for value-adding to critical minerals in the global energy transition. Released on Wednesday, From Minerals to Materials focusses on the local “mid-stream processing industry” opportunities across lithium, cobalt, silicon, rare earth elements and graphite. According to a summary,…
By Ian Lowe, Griffith University and Kylie Walker, Australian National University Australia’s clean energy transition is already underway, driven by solar, wind, batteries and new transmission lines. But what about nuclear? Opposition leader Peter Dutton last month committed to building nuclear reactors on the site of retired coal plants – triggering intense debate over whether…
Sponsored Hosted by Weld Australia, the 2024 National Manufacturing Summit will bring together leading industry experts to discuss the practical aspects of manufacturing Australia’s renewable energy revolution. It will highlight the essential components needed to drive Australia’s transition to a sustainable future and help overcome the challenges. The Australian Government’s commitment to reducing emissions by…
Bushmaster armoured vehicles arrive in Fiji The Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy has taken to social media to celebrate the successful export of Thales‘ Bendigo, Victoria manufactured Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicles. Conroy released photographs of the vehicles on the ground in Fiji (pictured) and said: “Great to see 14 Australian made bushmasters delivered to…
By Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra Opposition leader Peter Dutton has announced seven sites for reactors, unveiling his long-awaited and highly-controversial policy for nuclear power with the claim it could start operating from the 2030s. The locations are the sites of former or current coal plants. They have the technical attributes needed for a nuclear…
By Sanjoy Paul, University of Technology Sydney and Priyabrata Chowdhury, RMIT University The shift towards net zero emissions and greater international competition have created new opportunities for clean energy industries – poised to shape the global economy in the coming decades. To harness these opportunities, the government has developed a long-term strategic initiative called the…
The welding industry’s peak body has asked for a “clear and immediate public response” from the federal government on where and when wind and electricity transmission towers will be manufactured. In a statement on Monday, Weld Australia said that the foundational infrastructure enabling the energy transition was being overlooked, and sought confirmation on where the…