The scale of the renewables boom facing Australia is becoming clearer, with the task emerging as a vast one which carries with it vast opportunities. According to the Head of Policy with the Australian Constructors Association Robert Sobyra: “The renewables boom has just begun. “The 12 months to March 2023 saw a record $20 billion…
IDT Australia raises $2 million from shareholders Melbourne pharmaceutical manufacturer IDT Australia has raised $2 million via an over-subscribed share purchase plan to existing shareholders. The raising followed the successful completion of a $5 million placement to professional and sophisticated investors. The total capital raised will be used to fund the company’s capital expenditure programme…
By Peter Roberts Australia’s new Critical Minerals Strategy aims to increase the value added onshore to Australia’s vast mineral resources, rather than simply exporting undifferentiated mineral commodities. However it stops short of being the comprehensive policy we need to develop value-added industries. The strategy sets out a vision to grow our critical minerals wealth, create…
By Thara Philip, The University of Queensland; Andrea La Nauze, The University of Queensland, and Kai Li Lim, The University of Queensland The number of electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia doubled in 2022 and Tesla’s Model 3 emerged as the best-selling mid-size car, the first time an EV has held this title. Despite these headlines,…
Yesterday in our series – Celebrating Australian sovereign capability – Lance Worrall argued that sovereign capability is about a nation making things it needs, and policy with purpose. Today he identifies Australia’s priority sovereign capability sectors, and reveals where we are falling short. Over 30 years Australia overdosed on neoliberalism. The patient’s disorders include deindustrialisation…
By Ian Mackinnon, Queensland University of Technology and Richard Taylor For most of us, transmitting power is an invisible part of modern life. You flick the switch and the light goes on. But the way we transport electricity is vital. For us to quit fossil fuels, we will need a better grid, connecting renewable energy…
By Nathan Garland, Griffith University and Matthew Hole, Australian National University Our society faces the grand challenge of providing sustainable, secure and affordable means of generating energy, while trying to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to net zero around 2050. To date, developments in fusion power, which potentially ticks all these boxes, have been funded almost…
A number of people contacted me last week after the remarks of Saul Griffith on television and in print media that have been reported as an attack on green hydrogen. I have responded individually but thought that it might be good to do so publicly too. By Paul Hodgson. The bottom line is that I…
A new Australian Industrial Transformation Institute (Flinders University) report, ‘The Circular Economy: International Lessons and Directions for Australian Reindustrialisation’, considers why and how Circular Economy principles should be applied to the larger project of Australian reindustrialisation, accelerated decarbonisation, value adding and national sovereignty. By Lance Worrall Through a focus on industrial processes and critical metals,…
Assistant Minister for Manufacturing Tim Ayres has hopes of Australia moving into wind farm manufacturing in the Illawarra region of New South Wales. Visiting BlueScope Steel at Coniston last week Ayres said he was keen to discuss with the company the potential for developing further manufacturing in the light of $55 million in Commonwealth’s support…