MOLYCOP AWARDED INDUSTRY COMMERCIALISATION GRANT NEWCASTLE-BASED MINING CONSUMABLES PRODUCER AND STEEL MAKER, MOLYCOP, IS ONE STEP CLOSER TO IMPLEMENTING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES (UNSW) PATENTED POLYMER INJECTION TECHNOLOGY (PIT) FOLLOWING THE AWARD OF A COMMERCIALISATION GRANT FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT’S ADVANCED MANUFACTURING GROWTH CENTRE (AMGC).
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he commercialisation grant was announced in late 2021 by the Acting Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Angus Taylor. The grant will be utilised to implement PIT at Molycop’s Waratah Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking facility and support research to further develop the technology. This innovative technology is also known as SMaRT@UNSW Green Steel technology. It provides a responsible and sustainable recycling solution for end-of-life polymer materials such as tyres, conveyor belts and other rubber products. Industrial rubber boot manufacturer, Crawford Boots, will also partner with Molycop and UNSW to further enhance the recycling capability of this innovative technology.
The technology enables the recovery and reuse of carbon and hydrogen from end-of-life rubber products in the EAF steelmaking process and the introduction of this technology simultaneously: • Reduces Molycop’s reliance on imported carbonaceous materials from China • Reduces the volume of problematic wastes going to landfill • Improves energy efficiency of the EAF steelmaking process • Further reduces the carbon intensity of Molycop’s steel products The total investment in this project is $2.4 million which includes the AMGC grant, Molycop’s capital investment and the funding of ongoing research and development activities and trials
ACCELERATING INNOVATION IN NATIONAL MANUFACTURING PRIORITIES THROUGH AMGC'S COMMERCIALISATION FUND
The $30 million Commercialisation Fund is designed to foster projects that bring industry and researchers together to commercialise new manufacturing products and processes. Consistent with all programs under the Modern Manufacturing Strategy, this fund is supporting projects within the Government’s six National Manufacturing Priorities. These priorities are: Medical Products, Food and Beverage, Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing, Recycling and Clean Energy, Defence, and Space. Commercialisation Fund grants are between $100,000 and $1 million and must be matched by industry. These smaller-sized grants will complement the larger projects that will be supported through the $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative. AMGC Managing Director, Dr Jens Goennemann, said that the AMGC Commercialisation Fund had been established with the express intention of commercialising and transitioning new manufacturing products and processes. “For the past five years, AMGC has been working with our manufacturers to identify and support promising manufacturing projects. These projects have resulted in an uplift in jobs, skills and Australia’s global competitiveness and the latest round of funding will allow us to continue the good work,” Dr Goennemann said. “This funding supports AMGC’s vision to transform Australian manufacturing to be internationally competitive, dynamic and thriving, with advanced capabilities and skills at its core – in short, we want to help Australia move from being a lucky country to a smart one.” Projects must include collaboration with a research partner and a minimum of one industry partner.
to further increase this innovative technology’s resource recovery and recycling capability. Acting Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Angus Taylor, said that the recipients of this grant are a testament to the ingenuity of Australia’s manufacturing sector. “The Commercialisation Fund is about supporting businesses to bring their outstanding products and services to new Australian and international markets, which helps to grow our economy and deliver jobs for local workers,” Minister Taylor said. “These grants enable businesses to undertake commercialisation activities such as research and development,
