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Mining giant looks to limit emissions by electrifying refining process
Mining giant looks to limit emissions by electrifying refining process

West Australian

time9 hours ago

  • Business
  • West Australian

Mining giant looks to limit emissions by electrifying refining process

A South West mining giant is looking to limit emissions by electrifying its heavily polluting refining process with help from a $4.4 million grant. South 32 received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency in order to support the development of steam electrification pathways at the Worsley Alumina Refinery in the South West. The alumina refining industry is the country's biggest user of industrial process heat, collectively responsible for about 15 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2021 — 3 per cent of Australia's total green house gas emissions that year. Currently, close to 70 per cent of these emissions are produced from steam production in the alumina refining process, fuelled by fossil fuel sources such as coal and gas. With the sector identified as a hard-to-abate polluter finding a method to reduce emissions is needed. The identified options to reduce these emissions include electric boilers, which generate steam directly using an electrode, and mechanical vapour recompression, which involves capturing low-pressure waste vapour from the refining process for recompression to create pressurised steam for reuse. Paired with renewable energy these technologies have the potential to reduce the significant contribution to overall emissions alumina production entails. ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the study was a significant step towards making low emissions alumina and decarbonising Australian metals production. 'Meeting Australia's emissions reduction targets will require businesses in the most energy intensive industries to incorporate renewables in their operations,' he said. 'Funding from ARENA will help South32 investigate innovative electrification options for steam generation that enable the use of renewable energy.' South32 chief operating officer Vanessa Torres said the company had a long-term goal to achieve net zero emissions across all scopes by 2050 alongside the Federal Government's target and to halve overall emissions from the company by 2035 from their 2021 baseline. 'Decarbonising our operations is key to achieving our goals and targets,' she said. 'The pre-feasibility study that we will undertake at Worsley Alumina, with funding support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, builds on the work already under way to reduce Worsley Alumina's greenhouse gas emission. 'Electrification of the steam generation process at Worsley Alumina's refinery has the potential to further reduce the operation's green house gas emissions and we look forward to starting work on the project. We welcome the support from ARENA and look forward to the outcomes of the study.'

Under the skin of Hyundai's XCIENT fuel cell truck
Under the skin of Hyundai's XCIENT fuel cell truck

West Australian

time5 days ago

  • Automotive
  • West Australian

Under the skin of Hyundai's XCIENT fuel cell truck

Up front, it's best to underline this: Hyundai's XCIENT fuel cell truck is an electric truck. It's not driven by hydrogen but by electricity from a large on-board battery. The hydrogen is the fuel that runs the on-board battery charging. The concept of hydrogen fuel cell cars and trucks is to add an emissions-free range-extender to a battery electric driveline. Hyundai's truck is on display at the Brisbane Truck Show, and Hyundai locally is in discussions with operators in NSW, Victoria and WA to sell or lease limited numbers of the trucks into daily operations on evaluation. Hyundai's boss of future mobility and government relations, Scott Nargar, told us that some of the operators they were speaking to were keen to own the trucks in conjunction with recognition and assistance from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, ARENA, which exists to support industry moves towards low emissions solutions based on renewables. The trucks will likely be a combination of prime movers and rigids but will all feature the same spec driveline. Six hydrogen tanks each with a 31kg capacity will supply two 90kW fuel cell stacks that in turn will charge a 72kWh battery. The electric motor develops 350kW (470hp) and a thumping 2237Nm of torque, delivering that urge to the drive wheels through an Allison 4500R transmission. Based on European market testing the expected range, including regenerative braking is quoted as 'up to 400km', which would comfortably out-distance similar all-electric heavy-duty trucks now in use in WA fleets. Refuelling, with a 350bar H2 station is claimed to be between 8-20 minutes. XCIENT FC is purely hydrogen fuelled – there is no system to top-up the battery from a charging point. As long as the battery needs charging and there is hydrogen in the tanks, the fuel cell will bubble away even when the truck is parked up. The company is presently finishing off certification and homologation issues and will be sourcing the trucks through its New Zealand operation. That's because the Korean factory only builds the trucks in left-hand drive but converted test units have been running with the Kiwis since 2023. Hence XCIENTs for Australia will dog-leg across the Tasman. No details yet but I'm aware that Hyundai Australia is seeking local conversion opportunities until enough volume can be generated to justify some RHD production from the factory. Hyundai has been trialling this truck in 13 countries including NZ since 2021 with about 13 million kilometres in Switzerland alone. The data accumulated suggests some significant operational and logistical advantages over purely electric drivelines, however the issue of an hydrogen infrastructure looms large. Here in WA, Woodside has started a project with WA Government support to establish an hydrogen production and refuelling facility - Hydrogen Refueller @H2Perth - in the Rockingham industrial zone. Distributing the fuel to stations elsewhere in Perth, particularly the Kewdale transport hub would seem to be a necessity. Elsewhere, Hyundai is expanding the trial in California, where 30 hydrogen fuel cell trucks working in the ports of Oakland and Richmond to haul freight containers and vehicles will shortly be integrated into trials of fully autonomous operations.

Federal agency directed to consider home solar funding
Federal agency directed to consider home solar funding

Yahoo

time27-01-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Federal agency directed to consider home solar funding

Energy Minister Chris Bowen has written to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to accelerate solar electrification projects and save households more cash. Mr Bowen has used ministerial powers to direct the board to consider funding solar panels and home batteries following a deal struck with crossbenchers in exchange for support on Labor's Future Made in Australia legislation. The agency has to look at funding a project in every state and territory, including at least one in an Indigenous community and one in a low socio-economic area. They would be modelled off the North Wollongong community electrification testbed funded by the renewable energy agency in 2024. Projects will still be subject to a final independent assessment by the agency's board. It will allow chosen suburbs to act as test beds for the regulatory changes needed to scale up renewable energy use and scope out how government support can help achieve electrification, independent senator David Pocock said. "In this cost-of-living crisis one of the highest impact, non-inflationary things governments can do is to help households electrify and deliver thousands in permanent power bill relief," Senator Pocock said. The Future Made in Australia legislation, which leverages billions of dollars to invest in renewable energy and critical resources needed for such technology, missed an opportunity to support household electrification, Senator Pocock said. "This agreement helps remedy that gap," he said. The renewable energy agency has helped fund more than 660 projects to the tune of $2.25 billion, ranging from early-stage research and prototyping to later-stage developments. The minister wrote to the agency in late 2024 but only revealed the direction on Tuesday.

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