The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has awarded a $9.4 million grant to Aurizon to support the development and trial of a retrofitted 1.8 megawatt-hour battery-electric tender (BET) to power diesel-electric locomotive. According to a statement from energy minister Chris Bowen on Friday, the country’s largest rail freight hauler will partner with Alta Battery Technology,…
The Tasmanian government, which is seeking re-election on March 23, has said it will provide $5.25 million in matched funding to support an expansion by aluminium-bodied shipbuilder Incat. “We are investing $5.25 million and Incat are investing $5.25 million into this expansion, which will support up to 500 new jobs over the next three years,…
The NSW government has announced $275 million in Net Zero Manufacturing Initiative grants, which it says will help small businesses and others “take advantage of the transformation of our energy grid”. According to a statement from the government on Monday, the grants will be across three programs: Renewable manufacturing: increasing capacity to make the components…
Battery minerals company Lava Blue is to expand its Predictive Research into Speciality Materials (PRiSM) centre which it is developing along with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). The centre is developing a process for production of high purity alumina (HPA) from sapphire bearing kaolin clay deposits in North West Queensland. HPA is the essential…
The federal government has opened a new round of the Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII), offering grants of up to $100,000 to startup and SME companies targeting “renewables and low emission practices”. In a statement from industry minister Ed Husic on Monday, companies were invited to submit their “innovative proposals for ideas that address…
By Peter Roberts Finally the Polly Waffle – that strangely popular chocolate bar made of baked waffle filled with marshmallow – is back.. That’s the good news. Not so good is that Adelaide confectionery manufacturer Robern Menz, which bought the rights to the Polly Waffle from Nestle, is not returning to the market with a…
JAG Welding has been awarded $794,146 in grant funding by the Queensland government, which the company says will help it invest in installing a new robotic welding arm and software. According to a statement on Wednesday from state manufacturing minister Glenn Butcher, the project will create an estimated “15 new full-time jobs and up to…
Twenty eight Queensland small businesses will share in $1.9 million to help them grow through the latest round of the state’s Business Growth Fund. Through the fund, eligible Queensland small businesses can access grants of up to $75,000 to purchase specialised equipment to accelerate growth, increase production and expand their workforce. Business Growth Fund recipients…
The federal government has announced $200 million in grant funding through the first round of the Powering the Regions Fund (PRF), awarded to upgrade steelmaking at BlueScope’s Port Kembla and Liberty Steel’s Whyalla sites. In a statement on Wednesday, the two grants were described as: $136.8 million to assist BlueScope with the reline and upgrade…
Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlethwaite has rejected media criticism quoting military sources that defence urgently needs to add killer drones to its arsenal to give Australian forces a fighting chance on the modern battlefield. Responding on radio Thistlethwaite said: “The Australian Defence Force is investing in new drone technology and I’ve seen that firsthand.…
