Fortescue Zero and engineering company Downer have announced a collaboration to jointly design and develop a Battery Electric Locomotive (BEL), marking an important step forward to the commercialisation of zero emissions power system technologies in heavy industry applications. The agreement sets forward a path to deliver an innovative zero emissions solution for heavy haul rail…
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The Queensland government has invested $25 million in debt and equity – with a further $40 million contributed from an unnamed UK investment firm – which it says will see Energy Storage Industries – Asia Pacific (ESI) establish the nation’s first grid-scale battery factory. According to a statement on Tuesday, ESI is building the plant…
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New large-scale renewable energy sources are strengthening at an accelerating rate, according to the latest Quarterly Carbon Market Report from the Clean Energy Regulator. The regulator’s Q2 2024 report found that total added renewable energy capacity could exceed 7 gigawatts (GW) this year — a combination of an upgraded estimate of 3-4 GW large-scale wind…
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By Peter Roberts The emerging pattern of Australia digging up the critical minerals while others finance the construction of value adding processing in their own markets is repeating itself in battery material manganese, with Element 25 securing lucrative US government support. Element 25, which is developing the Butcherbird manganese deposit in Western Australia’s Pilbara, has…
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The NSW government has said that the next generation of Sydney’s Freshwater ferries will be locally-made, with Transport for NSW beginning “market sounding” for a zero-emissions fleet, contrasting this with previous decisions to purchase three overseas-made vessels for the Circular Quay to Manly route. In a statement on Tuesday, the government said the upcoming Freshwater…
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CSIRO researchers have successfully developed a next-generation uniform prototype that employs nanofibres to safeguard Australian troops from chemical and biological threats. The innovative material is a lightweight fabric that effectively filters out harmful particles while remaining light-weight and breathable, keeping the wearer comfortable in extreme temperatures. CSIRO Manufacturing Research Unit Director Dr Marcus Zipper said…
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Engineers at RMIT University have designed an innovative tubular structural system that can be packed flat for easier transport and pop up into strong building materials. This breakthrough is made possible by a self-locking system inspired by curved-crease origami — a technique that uses curved crease lines in paper folding. Lead researchers, Dr Jeff (Ting-Uei)…
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Shipbuilder Incat Tasmania has revealed the completion of the major construction phase of its build of what will be the world’s largest battery electric powered vessel. Known as Incat Hull 096, the final passenger deck module was lifted into place atop the vessel, signalling the structural completion of the vessel. The successful placement of the…
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The federal government has appointed Tony Mahar as the new Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner, replacing Andrew Dyer, who retired from the role at the end of March. Dyer has been CEO of the peak agricultural body the National Farmers Federation since March 2016, and according to his biography at the NFF has worked “in and…
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Five South Australian companies will undertake a programme to help them enter the global supply chain for nuclear-powered submarines, under an agreement with the United States’ largest shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). The state government has partnered with HII through HII Nuclear Australia Pty Ltd (HII-NA) to accelerate the development of the state’s defence industry…
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