By John Broadbent Do you remember when some Australian manufacturers off-shored their production to lower-cost labour countries, mostly in SE Asia? In most cases, the labour issue was because the equipment on which they worked was ancient history, a relic, fully-depreciated and being sweated so much, it was dripping. Rather than use the depreciation tax…
BAE Systems Australia and the employer association Ai Group will launch the nation’s first degree apprenticeship programme at the start of the 2023 academic year. The degree apprentice programme, to be delivered by Victoria University, aims to increase skilled participation in major defence projects and has already received the endorsement of major employers in the…
Australian steelmaker BlueScope has expanded its United States business footprint, agreeing to buy the steel coil coatings business of Cornerstone Building Brands Inc for US$500 million. Coil Coatings is the second largest metal painter in the US, with a total capacity of around 900,000 tonnes per annum across seven facilities, predominantly serving commercial and industrial…
Australian energy emissions have fallen by 12 per cent since their peak emissions in 2012, with all the fall attributable to a 29 per cent fall in electricity generation emissions since 2008, according to the latest energy emissions monitor from the Australian National University. Emissions from petroleum products and gas have both increased in all…
Chemicals and explosives group Orica and H2U Group have announced a strategic partnership to initiate the first phase of the proposed H2-Hub Gladstone green ammonia project in Queensland. The project has the potential to create 140 operational jobs and approximately 1,900 indirect jobs, and attract a $4.7 billion investment during its phased construction.. Orica said…
Western Australian renewable hydrogen company Infinite Blue Energy is progressing development of a green hydrogen production plant at Northam, inland from Perth in the Avon Valley. WA hydrogen industry minister Alannah MacTiernan welcomed IBE’s purchase of the Northam solar farm which will provide renewable power to its MEG HP1 project. The 10MW solar farm will…
Australia’s biggest producer of rare earths Lynas rare earths has reported record sales revenue of $327.2 million in the quarter to March 31 as the company benefitted from high prices and recovered from Covid related production interruptions. Both its Western Australian mine and Malaysian rare earths production facility increased production in the quarter and sales…
Roadway signage and IoT traffic systems company Traffic Technologies will provide software and hardware systems to boost the efficiency of traffic management at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. It will supply its Smart City traffic controllers and software for Qatar’s road network. The FIFA World Cup runs from November 21 to December 18, and…
Automotive company Porsche AG has bought into HIF Global which has ambitious plans to manufacture carbon neutral liquid auto fuels in Australia, the United States and Chile. The company, which is building the Haru Oni eFuels pilot plant in Chile (pictured), raised US$260 million in equity to fund the global expansion of its business to…
ARENA offers cash for low cost solar The Australian Renewable Energy Agency is allocating up to $40 million to support the research and commercialisation of Ultra Low Cost Solar PV (ULCS) technologies. “We are seeking proposals for Research & Development (R&D) projects to accelerate cost reductions and help meet the Australian Government’s solar stretch goal.…