By Brandon How New research from the Australian National University has laid out the capabilities needed if Australia is to adopt a zero-carbon export model. Calculations in the study found that in the financial year 2018-19, Australia exported the equivalent of almost two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide through its ‘benchmark exports’, roughly four per…
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By Peter Roberts One of the truisms that come from the forces ranged against Australian manufacturing is that local labour costs are too high to compete with countries where labour is cheap and labour laws are lax. Of course this was never true, otherwise why would high-cost Germany etc be seen as powerful and competitive…
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ADVERTISING FEATURE Cash is king for manufacturers – from the owner down to the machine operators. If you visit any manufacturer, you will see most have a keen eye on how everything is being used. Machines are generally only running if they are making parts; employees are typically only working if orders are coming in;…
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For years, decarbonising steel production has been seen as particularly challenging. But now, alternatives to the centuries-old practice of using coal to produce iron and steel are emerging. Researchers have been working on a number of new pathways to make steel with little or no emissions. The most promising process relying on the use of hydrogen.
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The first military aircraft to be built in Australia in over half a century has been given a new name, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat. Boeing congratulated the Australian government and Royal Australian Air Force on the selection, with the Loyal Wingman development program name to be phased out. The new military designator and name was…
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Perth mining equipment manufacturer Austin Engineering has more than doubled its order book over the past year on the back of a renewed focus on manufacturing efficiency and a recovery in the mining market. The company announced today that it has received $81 million in new orders across the business in the three months to…
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IDT misses out on MMI grant for mRNA vaccines Drug manufacturer IDT Australia has missed out on a Modern Manufacturing Initiative collaboration stream grant from the federal government to further development of mRNA vaccine manufacturing capabilities. The company, which is manufacturing the vaccine components for clinical trials of a mRNA vaccine developed by Monash University,…
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Australia will eventually have eight nuclear submarines, under a partnership with either the US or UK, and a new base for them at one of three short-listed sites on the east coast.
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By Peter Roberts Having previously led the world with the installation of the world-first Hornsdale big battery, the incoming Labor government in South Australia plans to do the same with the construction of a state-owned hydrogen electrolyser and green hydrogen-fired power station at Whyalla. Costed at $593 million, the 250 MWe electrolysers, 200MW power station…
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Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide have developed ‘smart polymers’ made from waste chemicals that not only protect pipework but remove mercury from water. They claim ‘an imaginative approach to polymer surface coating’ produced a sustainable way to remove mercury while providing a wide range of protection including for preventing metal corrosion and solvent damage…
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