March 2025 Vol.18 No.3 PP100007399
Freshwater breakthrough: improving water security using novel desalination technology Can we ‘electrify everything’? | Mandatory reporting | Unlocking rooftops for renewables
contents
6
6 Stepping up to mandatory Scope 3 emissions reporting: a smooth transition opinion
8 How data centres are working to use water responsibly water management
10 Freshwater breakthrough desalination
14 Can we really ‘electrify everything’? energy management
MARCH 2025
14
22
28
20 Proton batteries for future energy storage energy storage
22 Unlocking rooftops: a ‘game changer’ for renewable energy solar energy
24 How microbes clean the atmosphere emissions management
28 Choosing the best evaporation technique for digestate and sludge wastewater management
regulars 11 Products & services 12 Case studies
March 2025 Vol.18 No.3 PP100007399
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March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 3
WORDS from the EDITOR The north-east of Australia is currently recovering from flood-
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ing caused by tropical conditions, while most of southern Australia is experiencing the driest weather in decades and
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the impacts of climate change. The Bureau states, “As detailed in the State of the Climate 2024 report, there has been a decline in rainfall from April to October in the south-west and south-east regions of Australia in recent decades. We are seeing more frequent periods of
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below-average rainfall during these months. Since 1994, cool season rainfall across southern Australia has been 9% below the average recorded from 1900 to 1993. This decline is attributed to a combination of natural variability over decadal timescales and changes in large-scale atmospheric circulation, largely driven by an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.” To address our continent’s climate variability and the impacts of climate change, effective water management and greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies are essential. In this issue, we explore how data centres are using water responsibly and a novel approach to desalination. We also examine some promising innovations, such as using rooftops for renewable energy and advancements in energy storage.
Editor Carolyn Jackson sm@wfmedia.com.au Assistant Editor Kylie Baracz Publishing Director/MD Janice Williams Art Director/Production Manager Linda Klobusiak Art/Production Marija Tutkovska Circulation Alex Dalland circulation@wfmedia.com.au Copy Control Ashna Mehta copy@wfmedia.com.au Advertising Sales Tim Thompson Ph: 0421 623 958 tthompson@wfmedia.com.au
Additionally, we present some interesting upcycling solutions that transform wind turbine waste into surfboards and utilise carbon dioxide in construction materials. I hope you enjoy the read!
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Stepping up to mandatory Scope 3 emissions reporting: a smooth transition
Meg Fricke, Partner with EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services team
iStock.com/VectorMine
6 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
mandatory reporting
A
s Australia ushers in a new
• Be aware of potential overlaps: In certain
• Choosing an appropriate baseline year
era of climate-related financial
sectors, Scope 3 emissions may overlap
• Defining the target boundary (specific
disclosure, many organisations
across different categories. For example,
categories or entire portfolio)
are gearing up for a significant
in the oil and gas industry, emissions from
• Deciding between absolute or intensity
shift in their reporting prac-
fuel combustion reported under “use of sold
targets
tices. Since 1 January 2025, the disclosure
products” may also be captured in upstream
• Developing a clear plan to achieve the target
of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
and downstream transport categories. Con-
Alternative targets related to Scope
transitioned from voluntary to mandatory,
sult sector-specific guidance to address these
marking a crucial step in the country’s com-
3 emissions might include investment in
nuances and ensure accurate reporting.
mitment to addressing climate change.
• Recognise continuous improvement:
downstream technology, supplier engagement goals, or initiative-oriented targets to
Scope 3 emissions, which encompass in-
Understand that your Scope 3 inventory
direct GHG emissions occurring in an entity’s
will become more accurate over time.
value chain, both upstream and downstream,
Initial calculations may rely on high-level
present unique challenges for reporting enti-
estimates, often based on spend data, to
ties. These emissions often constitute the
identify the most significant indirect emis-
Preparing for board and executive review
largest portion of an organisation’s carbon
sion sources. Use these insights to focus
As Scope 3 emissions reporting becomes
footprint, making their measurement and
on obtaining primary data for material
subject to executive and board approval,
reporting critical for understanding and miti-
areas in subsequent years. Document your
it’s crucial to establish a robust controls
gating climate-related risks and opportunities.
approach and assumptions to support a
framework. This includes understanding data
Key considerations for Scope 3 reporting
repeatable process and facilitate external
sources, review processes, risk manage-
reporting and assurance.
ment, and oversight committees. Considering
As organisations embark on their Scope 3 reporting journey, four key considerations should guide their approach: • Track progress and set meaningful targets: Design your emissions inventory to accommodate future emission reduction initiatives. For instance, if you plan to work with key suppliers to reduce their emissions, structure your inventory to capture data on an individual supplier basis. This approach allows you to recognise decarbonisation efforts by specific suppliers rather than relying solely on industry-average emission factors. • Collaborate across internal stakeholders: Scope 3 reporting requires input from various departments within your organisation. Engage with teams from procurement, logistics, sales and other
Measuring Scope 3 emissions The measurement of Scope 3 emissions often involves a combination of primary and secondary data. Primary data, obtained directly from specific activities within the entity’s value chain, provides the most accurate picture but requires significant effort to collect. Secondary data, derived from industry averages or proxy sources, is easier to obtain but may not fully reflect an entity’s specific activities or capture decarbonisation efforts by value chain partners. Organisations should prioritise data that is based on direct measurement, specific to their value chain activities, timely and verified. As reporting matures, entities can refine their data collection methods, moving from predominantly secondary data to more primary data for material emission sources.
improve understanding and measurement of the Scope 3 footprint.
baseline assurance before mandatory limited assurance can help identify and address potential issues early.
Looking ahead The transition to mandatory Scope 3 emissions reporting represents a significant step in Australia’s climate action journey. While the process may seem daunting, organisations that start early, document their approach and embrace continuous improvement will be well-positioned to meet these new requirements. Remember, Scope 3 reporting is not just about numbers; it’s a valuable indicator of transition risk and an opportunity to drive meaningful change across your value chain. As we move towards a more sustainable future, the insights gained from Scope 3 reporting will be instrumental in shaping
relevant areas to ensure comprehensive
Setting Scope 3 targets
coverage of your value chain. This col-
While not mandatory under Australian Sustain-
informing investment
laborative effort is crucial for identifying
ability Reporting Standards (ASRS), setting
decisions, and ul-
the boundary of your Scope 3 inventory,
Scope 3 targets is increasingly important,
timately contribut-
determining which emission sources to
especially for entities where these emissions
ing to global efforts
include and understanding what data is
represent a significant portion of their total
to combat climate
available for each source.
footprint. When setting targets, consider:
change.
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business strategies,
March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 7
How data centres are working to use water responsibly Alex Setmajer, Sustainability Manager – Ecology, Equinix
Decisions that go into designing a new data centre will stay in place for many years to come. For instance, the cooling solutions often determine how the facility will consume vital resources such as water and energy. Equinix is committed to using water responsibly, which means we include several considerations about the local water context as we design our data centres.
What is water stress? According to the Pacific Institute, a leading research institute focused on water issues, water scarcity refers only to volumetric availability: the ratio of human water consumption to available water supply in an area. In contrast, water stress is a broader, more inclusive concept. Water scarcity is one aspect of water stress, but it also includes
L
ast year, we were designing
metro was in case of increased water stress.
other physical factors, such as water qual-
a new data centre in an area
Although the metro was well prepared
ity and environmental flows, and economic
where the public had concerns
for a drought or other increases in water
about water stress. The facility
stress, we decided to switch the building
Understanding the local water context,
was originally intended to use
cooling system to use air cooling. Since air
including water stress levels, is the foundation
evaporative cooling, which relies on evaporat-
cooling consumes substantially less water, we
of our approach to using water responsibly.
ing water to cool the building. The benefit
proactively aligned with local concerns about
In 2023, we codified our commitment to
water stress, which reflects our commitment
avoid using evaporative cooling in areas with
to minimising our impact. However, air cooling
high water stress because using evaporative
also consumes more energy, which is why
cooling is by far the largest driver of water
it isn’t right for every location.
consumption in data centres.
of this approach is that it is substantially more energy efficient than cooling systems that don’t use water. We conducted an in-depth water stress analysis to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the local water context. This analysis included assessing physical water
factors such as water accessibility.
When it comes to balancing the trade-offs between water and energy consumption, getting it right during the design phase is essential, as there are only opportunities for
How does data centre cooling impact water consumption? IT equipment running in data centres creates
availability, infrastructure and local resiliency
incremental water efficiency improvements
heat, and that heat has to go somewhere.
planning to understand how prepared the
after a data centre is operational.
Choosing a cooling solution will determine
8 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
water management
Data centre designers typically choose between air cooling and evaporative cooling based on the unique climate conditions of each specific location.
centre are air cooling (or dry cooling) and
being rejected into the atmosphere. The
evaporative cooling. Evaporative cooling
heat can then be used for heating homes
can reject the same amount of heat as
and businesses. This not only avoids un-
air cooling while consuming significantly
necessary water consumption in other
less energy. However, it also consumes
buildings’ cooling systems, but also provides
significantly more water via evaporation.
a low-carbon heat source for communities.
iStock.com/PashaIgnatov
Data centre designers typically choose
Equinix is pursuing heat export in select
between air cooling and evaporative cooling
locations worldwide. In Paris, heat recovered
based on the unique climate conditions of each
from our PA10 data centre is transferred
specific location. To determine the most suit-
to the Plaine Saulnier urban development
able system they’ll consider the local climate
zone, including a swimming pool used at
(weather), power availability, water stress and
the recent Paris Summer Olympics.
other factors. For instance, evaporative coolenergy usage in areas with power-constrained
Improving transparency around water consumption
grids. In contrast, avoiding evaporative cooling
Recognising that many of our stakeholders
in water-stressed areas minimises water con-
want to know more about how we use wa-
sumption, thus ensuring more water remains
ter and how we’re working to use it more
available for use in the community.
responsibly, we’ve taken steps to increase
ing can be particularly effective in managing
Balancing this trade-off is at the core of how a facility consumes water and energy, which are both essential aspects of any data centre operator’s sustainability strategy. However, cooling systems are needed at both the server level and the building level. As servers generate heat, the server-level cooling system moves the heat away from the servers to a heat exchanger, which transfers the heat to the building-level system. The building-level system then rejects the heat from the building.
transparency on our water use.
our responsible water strategy. In 2023, we
In 2023, for the first time, we disclosed
use evaporative cooling at only 40% of our
our water metrics via the CDP water security
data centres globally. We also take advantage
initiative and included water metrics in our
of alternative cooling methods where local
annual sustainability report.
conditions allow:
In addition to our water optimisation ef-
• Geothermal cooling methods such as aq-
forts, our operations team is developing and
uifer thermal energy storage (ATES) and
implementing water efficiency best practices
deep lake water cooling (DLWC) utilise
and improving our water metering systems
natural cooling provided by the Earth’s
at all existing data centres that use evapora-
thermal mass. They draw cold water from
tive cooling.
large natural sources to circulate through
Externally, we are collaborating with our
the building-level cooling system, thus
peers and industry working groups to develop
causing the water to absorb heat from
measurement frameworks and standards to
the heat exchanger. Rather than rejecting
support water reporting efforts. Earlier this
it into the atmosphere via evaporating the
year, we joined the California Water Action
water, geothermal cooling returns water to
Collaborative, a network of diverse stakehold-
its original source. Therefore, the process
ers pursuing collective action projects that
other compute-intensive workloads. One
doesn’t consume water. Similarly, one of
improve water security in Equinix’s home state.
misconception about liquid cooling is
our data centres in Toronto uses a DLWC
We’re also co-funding our first offsite
that it’s the same as evaporative cooling.
system that pulls cold water from the
nature project in Finland with Neoen, our lo-
However, unlike evaporative cooling, liquid
depths of Lake Ontario. With this approach,
cal renewable energy partner, to restore 50
cooling doesn’t necessarily increase water
we’ve reduced total energy needs for this
hectares of high-value peatland and streams.
consumption because it uses a small
data centre by 50%, without increasing
Since offsite projects like this one often provide
amount of water moving continuously in a
water consumption.
both water and biodiversity benefits, we’re
closed loop, rather than being evaporated.
• Data centre heat export allows a portion of
sponsoring the development of a framework
• At the building level, the two primary
the heat in a data centre to be transferred
to account for biodiversity benefits along with
methods for rejecting heat from a data
to a third-party heat network rather than
water benefits from these kinds of projects.
There are different options for both serverlevel cooling and building-level cooling: • At the server level, air cooling has long been the standard practice, but liquid cooling is becoming more prevalent to support higher server density for AI and
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 9
desalination
A novel approach to make seawater evaporate faster than freshwater has been hailed as a significant breakthrough in desalination technology and could help to ease water scarcity.
S
iStock.com/aristotoo
Freshwater breakthrough but they are still limited by a lower evapo-
The mineral materials used in the process
ration rate for seawater compared to pure
included halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), ben-
water due to the negative effect of salt ions
tonite (BN), zeolite (ZL) and montmorillonite
on water evaporation.
(MN) in combination with carbon nanotubes
UniSA materials science researcher Professor Haolan Xu has now collaborated
(CNTs) and sodium alginate (SA) to form a photothermal hydrogel.
with researchers from China on a project
“This new strategy, which could be easily
to develop a simple yet effective strategy
integrated into existing evaporation-based
to reverse this limitation.
desalination systems, will provide additional
eawater desalination is an
By introducing inexpensive and common
access to massive amounts of clean water,
effective strategy to alleviate
clay minerals into a floating photothermal
benefiting billions of people worldwide,”
the impending water scarcity
hydrogel evaporator, the team achieved
Xu said.
in some parts of the world, but
seawater evaporation rates that were 18.8%
The researchers say the hydrogel evapo-
existing processes consume
higher than pure water. This is a significant
rator maintained its performance even after
massive amounts of energy, leaving a large
breakthrough since previous studies all found
months of immersion in seawater.
carbon footprint. Considering the global de-
seawater evaporation rates were around 8%
salination market — which numbers around
lower than pure water.
The next steps will involve exploring more strategies that can make seawater evaporation
17,000 operational plants worldwide — even
“The key to this breakthrough lies in
faster than pure water evaporation and apply
small declines in desalination performance
the ion exchange process at the air–water
them into practical seawater desalination.
can result in the loss of tens of millions of
interface,” Xu said. “The minerals selectively
tons of clean water.
enrich magnesium and calcium ions from
journal Advanced Materials. *'Making Interfacial Solar Evaporation of Seawater Faster than Freshwater' is authored by researchers from the University of South Australia, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Jinan University, Tianjin University, University of New South Wales, University of Adelaide, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Nanjing Forestry University.
Researchers from the University of South
seawater to the evaporation surfaces, which
Australia (UniSA) have already demonstrated
boosts the evaporation rate of seawater. This
the potential of interfacial solar-powered
ion exchange process occurs spontaneously
evaporation as an energy-efficient, sustainable
during solar evaporation, making it highly
alternative to current desalination methods,
convenient and cost-effective.”
10 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
The findings* have been published in the
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ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER Lauris Technologies (LaurisTech) has announced a leap forward in ultrasonic gas flow measurement technology with the release of the TT-0825 series ultrasonic transducers. Engineered to operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -80 to +250°C, these transducers are
HUMIDITY AND TEMPERATURE SENSORS
designed to set a new standard for gas flow meters.
The Galltec+Mela Humidity and
gas temperatures exceeding 150°C, has posed a unique challenge for
Temperature sensors with ATEX
conventional ultrasonic gas flow meters. Lauris Technologies has
certification are suitable for use in
addressed this challenge with the TT-0825 series, which is
potentially explosive atmospheres
specifically designed for these environments.
and areas with combustible dust
AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Pty Ltd www.ams-ic.com.au
equipment of category 1G, 1/2G
Flare gas flow measurement, often encountered in industries with process
and 2D. The sensors consist of a sensor part with a sintered filter (both made of stainless steel) on a robust die-cast aluminium housing (transmitter part). MELA-humidity/temperature sensors in this series are used to measure relative humidity and temperature in air, and other non-aggressive gases in explosion hazardous areas and locations with inflammable dust. Connection to a non-intrinsically safe electric circuit for humidity (F*C3.Ex/8) and for temperature sensors (T*C3.Ex/8) is achieved with a 1-channel transmitter power supply unit, and for the combined humidity and temperature sensors (K*C3.Ex/8) either with a 2-channel or with two 1-channel transmitter power supply units with galvanic isolation between input-/output circuits and power supply. These IP65 rating humidity/ temperature sensors provide two analog outputs of 4–20 mA with the accuracy for humidity ± 2 %RH 5...95 %RH at 10 ...40 °C and temperature ± 0.2K at 23°C. The humidity/temperature sensor is mounted on the wall of the hazardous area with class 1 requirements by using assembly kit ZA 40. Possible applications for these types of sensors include industries like chemical, drying, pharmaceutical, paper & print, environmental, mining and paint shops, etc. Slentech Pty Ltd www.slentech.com.au
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March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 11
Retired wind turbine blades create strong surfboards
Images: Supplied.
Professional surfer Josh Kerr holding an ACCIONA Turbine Made x Draft Surf surfboard prototype.
ACCIONA has partnered with Australian professional surfer Josh Kerr and his brand Draft Surf, to create surfboards made from a retired wind turbine blade. The initial range, crafted from a decommissioned blade from ACCIONA’s Waubra wind farm in Victoria, included 10 prototype surfboards as part of the company’s Turbine Made initiative. The surfboards, hand-crafted on the Gold Coast, feature repurposed turbine blade strips built into the deck for strength and flex control. The fins of the board, made from recycled fibreglass, are said to provide stability, drive and speed, and the outer shell
Draft Surf founder Josh Kerr with an ACCIONA Turbine Made surfboard prototype.
is further strengthened by incorporating recycled turbine blade particulate into the fibreglassing process. Kerr said, “When ACCIONA approached us about being part of the solution and working together to create these surfboards, we
The Turbine Made initiative builds on ACCIONA’s previous
jumped at the opportunity. At its core, our brand is about enabling
work to repurpose decommissioned wind turbine blades. This
the best surfing experience with quality products, in a sustainable
includes a collaboration with European fashion brand El Ganso,
way — which aligns with ACCIONA’s vision for Turbine Made.”
to create sneakers featuring recycled blade material in their soles
Launched in February 2025, Turbine Made is an initiative
and integrating recycled blade materials into the torsion beams of
dedicated to exploring ways to transform decommissioned wind
solar trackers at a solar plant in Extremadura, Spain.
turbine blades into new materials and products. It represents the
The company is also advancing in end-of-life turbine recycling
next step in ACCIONA’s efforts to advance circular economy in
through the development of a blade recycling plant in Navarra,
the renewable energy sector in Australia.
Spain, which is set to become operational in 2026, creating 100
ACCIONA Energia’s global sustainability director Mariola Domenech
jobs and a processing capacity of 6000 tonnes of material per year.
said, “We know that in the next five to 10 years, countries like
“Sustainability isn’t just about reducing waste, it’s about product
Australia will have a large volume of decommissioned wind turbine
stewardship, ensuring that what we build today doesn’t become
blades, so we’re acting now to explore new ways to recycle and
tomorrow’s environmental challenge,” Domenech said.
reuse the material they are built from. “The creation of a surfboard prototype, developed locally,
“By working with Australian manufacturers, designers and innovators, we can encourage the creation of practical, high-performance
is an example of how we’re reimagining the materials from
applications that benefit both industry and the environment.”
decommissioned turbine blades and pushing the envelope of
Acciona Australia Energy
innovation when it comes to the circular economy.”
www.acciona.com.au
12 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
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SPONSORED CONTENT
istock.com/au/Bilanol
OVERCOMING CHEMICAL DOSING CHALLENGES IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT
A
round 359 billion cubic metres of wastewater is produced globally each year.1 In propelling towards sustainability, wastewater treatment providers are facing the challenge of effectively handling a variety of treatment chemicals. Sustainability is driving the use of higher concentration chemicals to minimise transport costs and emissions, as well as reduce the size of dosing systems. High concentration chemicals require a very accurate and repeatable pump to maintain process capability. Peristaltic pumps with low pulsation and no ball valves result in parts per million (ppm) concentrations with very low standard deviations, minimising chemical usage and maximising process quality. In response to the challenges of disinfection and neutralisation, coagulants and flocculants, and urbanization that demand more powerful pumps with high flow rates and low pulsation to increase efficiency, Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions has designed pump technology solutions to enable wastewater treatment providers to overcome different process challenges. After calls from plant managers for more powerful and adaptable pumping equipment that enables accurate, flexible and high capacity dosing, the Qdos H-FLO was designed. The pump is capable of flow rates up to 600 litres per hour and can handle pressures up to 7 bar via a range of interchangeable pump heads. The different pump heads enable the pump to be used in a wide range of wastewater applications and allow plant managers to respond quickly as treatment processing requirements change. The Qdos H-FLO has a pressure sensor that detects leaks and blockages. The pump stops before the system becomes damaged and alerts the operator with diagnostic feedback. In
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addition, all of the chemicals are safety contained within the pump head, preventing operator exposure. If there is a problem, the pump head can just be changed. The twin-tube technology provides extremely low pulsation, with an offset rotor design protecting pipework integrity and providing consistent chemical supply compared with diaphragm pumps delivering similar flow rates. Unlike diaphragm pumps, the Qdos H-FLO has no valves, eliminating the issue of valves becoming stuck or blocked. In addition, the pump has a high accuracy of ±1%, which prevents chemical waste and saves costs. Wastewater treatment providers face a variety of operating challenges, including handling a wide range of chemicals, meeting high demand, and becoming more sustainable. However, with the correct pumping technology, wastewater plant managers can ensure their operations run efficiently, accurately and safely. 1.
https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/237/2021/
Visit the WatsonMarlow website for more information
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions www.wmfts.com/en-au March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 13
Can we really ‘electrify everything’? Energy experts present two contrasting viewpoints on the topic of achieving full electrification on a global or regional scale — green electricity or alternative renewable energy sources?
A
t the Energy LIVE 2024 conference in Houston, Texas, the path to a net-zero emissions future was a hot topic. In a session titled ‘The
Great Electrification Debate’, energy experts Dr Tej Gidda and Dr Peter Benyon, both from GHD, discussed whether full electrification is possible on a global or regional scale. Speaking to an audience of industry insiders, policymakers and innovators, Gidda and Benyon
“We are already making significant pro-
To bolster his argument, Benyon pointed
presented equally ambitious but contrasting
gress toward electrifying everything. Over
to community-led projects like Electrify 2515,
viewpoints. One championed the promise of
the past decade, electricity demand has
where 500 homes in the city of Wollongong are
green electricity while the other advocated for
grown at nearly twice the rate of overall
transitioning from gas to electric appliances.
alternative renewable energy sources.
energy demand, and this trend is accelerat-
The case for electrification
ing rapidly,” he said.
He also highlighted progress in Australian states and territories including South Australia,
“With net zero objectives in focus, green
Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory,
electricity — produced from abundant re-
which are well on their way to, or have already
Benyon, GHD’s
sources like wind and solar — stands out
achieved, net 100% renewable electricity and
Australian Market
as the cleanest and most cost-effective
have advanced electrification initiatives.
Leader – Power,
energy source.
Electrification would also be economically
opened with a
“Harnessing these natural resources, cou-
beneficial, he said. “Every heat pump and
vision of elec-
pled with energy storage, makes transitioning
EV we deploy brings tangible savings for
trification across
to an all-electric system an obvious choice.
households. It is not just about the planet
residential, com-
“The benefits are clear — cleaner air, lower
— it is about people’s wallets.
mercial, industrial and transportation sectors,
noise pollution and significant cost savings.
“We’re also seeing breakthroughs in energy
citing the rapid adoption of renewable energy
Green electricity is not simply better for the
storage, including lithium, sodium and vanadium
and advancements in energy efficiency as
environment; it is also healthier and more
technologies, which will support and stabilise
cornerstones of a clean, sustainable future.
affordable for communities,” he explained.
grids and enable deeper electrification.”
14 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
electrification debate
Gidda cited North American projects converting agricultural waste and landfill gas into
In a session titled ‘The Great Electrification
biomethane, as well as Toronto’s efforts to
Debate’,
displace natural gas with renewable sources created from food waste.
energy experts Dr Tej Gidda and Dr Peter Benyon, both from GHD, discussed
He also underscored the limitations of
whether full electrification is possible
battery electric vehicles, particularly in heavyduty transport.
on a global or regional scale.
“There are not enough lithium reserves globally to electrify all vehicles, and this is a real problem. We need complementary solutions, such as hydrogen and low-carbon fuels.”
Technological pathways Both Gidda and Benyon agreed on the need to advance energy technologies to support the energy transition. Benyon advocated for diverse energy storage methods, from mechanical processes like compressed air to thermal storage. “Storage innovation is key to grid reliability and scalability. It is how we will meet growing demand without compromising stability in a renewable electricity grid,” he said. iStock.com/kynny
Gidda made the case for blending hydrogen into existing natural gas systems to decarbonise without costly infrastructure overhauls. “This approach reduces emissions immediately, with minimal disruption to consumers,” he explained.
What needs to happen now? When asked what near-term actions are critical for achieving net zero by 2050, Benyon
The case for alternatives
called for aggressive grid decarbonisation and “We don’t currently have enough power
expanded infrastructure, with targeted sup-
generation to electrify everything. The an-
port for low-income communities to ensure
G H D ’s
ticipated increases in demand are already
equitable transitions.
Global Leader for
outpacing our ability to generate new power,
Gidda stressed the need for comprehensive
Future Energy,
and we are struggling to meet existing
national energy policies and public–private
presented a dif-
needs,” he said.
partnerships. “This is too big for any one
Gidda,
ferent perspec-
“How can we possibly address the ad-
tive, questioning
ditional requirements for full electrification
whether electrifying everything is realistic
when we’re already behind on capacity for
in the short term.
today’s demands?”
sector to tackle alone. Collaboration is our best shot at success,” he said. Gidda said that solutions must be tailored to the realities of each region. “There is no
“The power generation required for full
However, existing infrastructure in North
single path to net zero,” he said. “For me, I
electrification is enormous, and in many
America still offers untapped potential for
do not believe ‘electrification’ is the answer
regions, it is simply not feasible today,”
decarbonisation, Gidda said.
on its own. It needs to be a combination of
he argued.
“We have millions of miles of pipelines
electrification and decarbonisation.”
Gidda said that affordability was another
that can be repurposed for renewable natu-
Benyon agreed on the need for diverse
critical barrier, using North America as an
ral gas and hydrogen. Why abandon these
approaches, adding, “What matters most is
example of a region where consumers and
assets when we can use them to reduce
that we act decisively and collaboratively.
businesses face high costs of transitioning to
emissions today and do so to maintain
Every step forward is a step toward a cleaner,
electric systems even with subsidies.
affordability?”
greener world.”
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 15
Storing CO2 in construction materials iStock.com/CentralITAlliance
New research out of the University of California, Davis and
artificial rocks that can be loaded with carbon as concrete
Stanford University has found that storing carbon dioxide in building
and asphalt pavement aggregate; and incorporating biomass
materials could hugely reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
fibre into bricks. They also considered the use of plastics
The study, conducted by civil engineers and earth systems
and asphalt binders based on biomass rather than fossil
scientists, has been published in the journal Science. “The potential is pretty large,” said Elisabeth Van Roijen, who led the study as a graduate student at UC Davis. Van Roijen and her colleagues are presenting this approach as
petroleum sources. These technologies are at different stages of readiness, with some still being investigated at a lab or pilot scale and others already available for adoption.
an alternative — more effective — type of carbon sequestration.
The team found that while bio-based plastics could take up
Carbon sequestration aims to take carbon dioxide, either from
the largest amount of carbon by weight, concrete has by far the
where it is being produced or from the atmosphere, convert it
largest potential for carbon storage. This is because concrete is
into a stable form and store it away from the atmosphere where
the world’s most popular building material, with over 20 billion
it cannot contribute to climate change. Previous proposals have
tons produced every year.
involved injecting carbon underground or storing it in the deep
“If feasible, a little bit of storage in concrete could go a
ocean; however, these approaches pose both practical challenges
long way,” Miller said. If 10% of the world’s concrete aggregate
and environmental risks.
production were carbonateable, it could absorb a gigaton of CO2,
“What if, instead, we can leverage materials that we already produce in large quantities to store carbon?” Van Roijen said.
according to the researchers’ calculations. With the feedstocks for these new processes being mostly
Along with Sabbie Miller, associate professor of civil and
low-value waste materials such as biomass, Van Roijen said
environmental engineering at UC Davis, and Steve Davis at
that implementing the new approach would enhance their value,
Stanford University, Van Roijen worked to calculate the potential
creating economic development and promoting a circular economy.
for storing carbon in a variety of common building materials
While some development is needed, particularly in cases
including concrete (cement and aggregates), asphalt, plastics,
where material performance and net-storage potential of individual
wood and brick.
manufacturing methods must be validated, Miller said many of
More than 30 billion tons of conventional versions of these materials are produced worldwide every year.
these technologies are just waiting to be adopted. Van Roijen is now a researcher at the US Department of Energy
Some of the techniques the team studied included adding
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The work was supported
biochar (made by heating waste biomass) into concrete; using
by Miller’s CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation.
16 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
Sustainable dye extracted from avocado by-products Westfalia Fruit has committed to using all
fruit demonstrates the potential of innovative
parts of the avocado across the supply chain,
thinking in sustainable agriculture.”
including the skins and seeds, to make new,
Besides the dye extraction, remaining
sustainable products.
materials from the avocado skins and stones
Avocados imported for retail, food service
are also processed into additional products —
and wholesale customers are carefully inspected
for example, starches are directed to paper
and any unsuitable avocados are processed at
manufacture as a precursor to packaging
Westfalia’s facility into products like avocado
production, while ground materials find
pulp, smashed avocado and guacamole.
applications in cosmetics as natural exfoliants,
However, the avocado skins and seeds
as alternatives to micro-plastics.
from the process, previously typically used
The natural dye extraction process represents
in low-value applications such as anaerobic
an advancement in sustainable practices,
digesters, are now finding new, higher-value
particularly as industries increasingly seek
alternative uses. Having
partnered
with
Efficiency
Technologies, the value of the entire by-product
Westfalia Fruit introduces sustainable dye extraction from avocado by-products.
alternatives to synthetic dyes. The powder format enables stability and ease of use across various applications, while
channel of avocado skins and stones is assessed to optimise use,
the range of the eight distinct natural shades provide versatility
with the most recent development being a technology extracting a
for different product requirements.
natural, sustainable dye from avocado stones, with SAGES London.
This innovation comes at a time when consumer demand for
The process extracts perseorangin (a rare and sought-after
natural, sustainable products continues to rise across fashion,
natural pigment) from avocado stones collected at Westfalia's UK
beauty and packaging sectors. The pigment’s successful showcase
facility. The pigment offers eight distinct shades ranging from
at London Fashion Week highlighted its viability in sustainable
light yellow to rich reddish-brown, creating new opportunities for
fashion, while ongoing collaborations with industry leaders in
sustainable colouring solutions across multiple industries.
cosmetics and packaging demonstrate its cross-sector appeal.
The specialised extraction method isolates perseorangin, which
Plans are underway to understand how the technology could
constitutes approximately 3% of the avocado stone, and processes
be expanded to additional Westfalia facilities in Europe, where more
it into a dried powder form, providing extended shelf life.
avocado by-product can be processed using the same techniques.
“This breakthrough represents a significant step in our journey
The company’s integrated operations enable efficient collection
toward our total crop use strategy,” said Andrew Mitchell, Head
and processing of avocado stones and skins from multiple production
of Group Innovation at Westfalia Fruit.
sites, which will help to maximise the sustainable impact of the
“By transforming what was once considered by-product into
initiative and builds upon Westfalia’s commitment to sustainability
a valuable resource, we’re creating sustainable solutions that
and circular economy principles.
benefit multiple industries. The ability to produce eight distinct
Westfalia Fruit
natural shades while maintaining our commitment to use the entire
www.westfaliafruit.com
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 17
Vertical wind turbine tower design on trial in SA A pioneer wind turbine tower design is
to a brake and generator. This new design
Designed with quiet operation and
set to be put on trial south of Adelaide
could help to increase the sustainability
adaptability in mind, the large standalone
in a novel research collaboration between
and energy operating costs of residential,
vertical turbines are shaping up to be just
Flinders University and startup company
agricultural and light industrial operations
as efficient, if not more so, than their
VAWT-X Energy.
close to metropolitan areas, as well as large-
horizontal counterparts, said Dr Amir
scale offshore windfarms.
Zanj, head of the Advanced Wind Energy
Supported by state and federal funding, the research team constructed and tested
Engineering experts at Flinders University
Technology (AWET) research group based
a 6 KW vertical wind turbine prototype
are challenging the trend of using horizontal
at Flinders University’s Tonsley campus.
to install at a field site on the Fleurieu
axis wind turbines by working with VAWT-X
“Darrieus’ VAWTs can thrive across
Peninsula.
Energy’s vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT)
diverse environments, whether they’re
The low-maintenance two-bladed
design to develop innovative prototypes of
set up as single units, part of urban
helical vertical axis wind turbine design
large-scale VAWTs, set to be tested in real-
infrastructure, or scaled up for larger wind
comprises a rotor with a shaft connected
world conditions.
farms,” Zanj, from the College of Science and Engineering, said in a recent review article in the journal Energies. “They offer advantages like high power density on wind farms, greater stability for offshore use, and adaptability to urban areas with shifting winds — all while being quieter and more economical to operate.” VAWT-X Energy founder Gary Andrews said the new wind turbine aims to address some of the longstanding aerodynamic challenges, potentially providing a more sustainable, versatile alternative for renewable production in Australia and elsewhere. “We believe our VAWTs are not only more efficient but also more accessible for applications like off-grid power and sustainable energy solutions for small businesses and farms,” he said. “The design of these new VAWT-X Energy turbines solves some of the traditional barriers for Darrieus designs.” Along with private equity funding, research and development will continue with a new grant from the Australian Government. The project is also supported by a $300,000 grant from the Department of State Development in South Australia. Flinders University www.flinders.edu.au
< Members of the Advanced Wind Energy Technology (AWET) group at Tonsley. Left to right: Chun Hin So, Bahar Amani, Abolfazl Abdolahifar, Mohsen Feyzi, Dr Amir Zanj and Mohammad Mahdi Jalilvand with the latest scaled-up version of the 6 KW VAWT-X Energy model assembled at the Tonsley Innovation Precinct on 9 January 2025.
18 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
$17m upgrade to liquid and hazardous waste management facility Evoro Chief Executive
North liquid and hazardous waste management facility in Melbourne,
Officer Susan McBurney
including new weighbridges and enhanced truck unloading processes.
said the investment would
Coming after a comprehensive five-year planning and approvals
incorporate leading global
process, the upgrade is expected to be completed in late 2025.
technology and practice.
“Our forte at Laverton North is handling difficult-to-treat industrial
“This is a sweeping
waste, giving it a second life through recycling or preparing it for
site overhaul enabling us
safe disposal,” said Evoro Victoria General Manager Jenny Barnes.
to modernise operations
“It’s a responsibility we conduct with professionalism and
to world-class standard,”
pride, knowing that such products could cause havoc if they were
she said. “Our clients from
misused or illegally dumped, especially in waterways.”
multiple industrial sectors
The works are targeted at increasing the facility’s versatility
will reap the benefits of
so that it can handle a range of liquid and hazardous waste
better efficiency, cost-
management services, including:
effectiveness and service.
• neutralising acids and alkaline materials for safe disposal or discharge as stormwater (eg, acids used in galvanising processes to manufacture corrosion-resistant products);
Image courtesy of Evoro.
A $17 million upgrade is currently underway at Evoro’s Laverton
Evoro Victoria General Manager Jenny Barnes on location at Laverton North liquid and hazardous waste management facility.
“Much of what we’re doing is a response to client feedback, and in line with strict regulatory requirements.” The upgrade will bring Evoro closer to reaching maximum
• processing wastewater for safe discharge as stormwater
treatment capacity, currently at 60 million litres per year. Full-
(eg, wastewater resulting from industrial plant washdowns);
time employment at the facility is also scheduled to rise, from
• separating and purifying water from oil, such as workshop ‘oily
34 people to 40 people.
water’ (water mixed with oils and other lubricants), where
Industrial development specialist LSR Construction Group is
recovered oil can be reused as an industrial fuel source;
completing the works, after being selected via a tender process
• purifying waste glycol (antifreeze) for reuse;
run by Evoro and Tango Projects.
• processing hard-to-treat liquids such as hydrogen fluoride and
Evoro
waters containing PFAS for safe disposal or reuse.
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
evoro.com.au
March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 19
Proton batteries for future energy storage A team of scientists at UNSW Chemistry has developed an organic material that is able to store protons, which is being used to create a rechargeable proton battery in the lab.
Creating an anode material Redox potential is a fundamental parameter in electrochemistry. It is related to the flow of electricity, which is important for design-
B
y using hydrogen ions (protons)
products such as electric cars, e-bikes and
instead of traditional lithium,
e-scooters. However, they are very difficult to
the batteries hold promise
recycle and require huge amounts of water
for addressing some of the
and energy to produce.
ing batteries. The range of redox potentials in a battery is important because it affects the battery’s performance. Usually, the redox potentials of cathode materials need to locate
critical challenges in modern
“Lithium-ion batteries are already becom-
in a high range and that of anodes need to
energy storage, including resource scarcity,
ing a dominant product in energy storage
locate in a low range to ensure a desirable
environmental impact, safety and cost. The
applications, but they have a lot of limita-
battery voltage output.
team’s latest findings, published in the journal
tions,” Wu said.
To create their electrode material, the
Angewandte Chemie, highlight the battery’s
“Lithium is a finite resource that is
research team started with a small molecule,
ability to store energy quickly, last longer
not evenly distributed on Earth, so some
called tetrachloro-benzoquinone (TCBQ),
and perform well tunder sub-zero conditions.
countries may not have access to low-cost
which includes four chlorine groups. Although
The material — tetraamino-benzoquinone
lithium sources. Lithium batteries also have
TCBQ has been used previously to design
— was developed by PhD candidate Sicheng
[a] very big challenge regarding fast-charging
electrode materials, the redox potential range
Wu and Professor Chuan Zhao, in collabora-
applications, safety and ... low efficiency in
of this compound is mediocre — neither low
tion with UNSW Engineering and ANSTO,
cold temperature.”
enough to be used as an anode nor high
and has been shown to support rapid proton movement using hydrogen-bond networks. “We have developed a novel, high-capacity,
enough to be used as a cathode.
Alternatives to lithium-ion batteries
So, to start, the team set out to modify TCBQ to increase its performance as an anode material.
small-molecule material for proton storage,”
Although we currently rely very heavily on
Zhao said. “Using this material, we success-
lithium-ion batteries, a growing number
After multiple rounds of modifications of the
fully built an all-organic proton battery that
of alternatives are emerging. In particular,
compound, the researchers settled on replac-
is effective at both room temperature and
proton batteries are gaining attention as a
ing the four chloro groups with four amino
sub-zero freezing temperatures.”
sustainable alternative in the energy field for
groups, making it a tetraamino-benzaquinone
energy storage devices.
(TABQ) molecule. By adding amino groups,
Back to battery basics
Protons have the smallest ionic radius
the researchers significantly improved the
Batteries store chemical energy and convert it
and mass of all elements, which allows them
material’s ability to store protons and lower
to electrical energy through reactions between
to diffuse quickly. Using protons results in
its redox potential range.
two electrodes — the anode and cathode.
batteries with high energy and power density,
“If you just look at the TABQ material
Charge-carrying particles, known as ions, are
and protons are relatively inexpensive, produce
that we have designed, it’s not necessarily
transferred via the middle component of the
zero carbon emissions and are fast charging.
cheap to produce at the moment,” Zhao said.
“There are many benefits to proton bat-
“But because it’s made of abundant light
The most common batteries used in house-
teries,” Wu said. “But the current electrode
elements, it will be easy and affordable to
hold products are lithium-ion batteries. These
materials used for proton batteries, some
eventually scale up.”
batteries, which create an electric charge by
of which are made from organic materials
transferring lithium ions between the anode
and others from metals, are heavy and still
Putting the prototype to the test
and cathode, are the most widespread port-
very high cost.”
When the researchers tested the proton bat-
battery, known as an electrolyte.
able energy storage solutions.
While a few organic electrode materials
tery, the results were promising.
Lithium-ion batteries power everyday
already exist, they also suffer from limited
Combined with a TCBQ cathode, the
products such as mobile phones, laptops and
voltage range, and further research is required
all-organic battery offers a long cycle life
smart wearables, as well as newer e-mobility
to make them viable batteries.
(3500 cycles of fully charging and then fully
20 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
energy storage
Image: Supplied.
Professor Chuan Zhao holds up a prototype of the proton battery in the lab, made in collaboration with UNSW Engineering and ANSTO.
draining the battery), high capacity and good
battery designed through this collaboration,
energy integration technologies and our proton
performance in cold conditions.
it has the potential to be used in a variety
battery design is a promising trial.”
“The electrolyte in a lithium-ion battery is made of lithium salt, a solvent which is flammable and therefore is a big concern,” Zhao said. “In our case, we have both electrodes made of organic molecules, and in between we have the water solution, making our prototype battery lightweight, safe and affordable.”
of situations, including grid-scale energy storage. As noted by Wu, “At the moment, we don’t have any suitable solutions to gridscale energy storage, because we can’t use tons of lithium batteries to do that job due to the price and lack of safety.
While the potential applications are vast, the researchers are determined to refine and perfect their proton battery. “We have designed a very good anode material, and future work will move to the cathode side. We will continue designing new organic materials that have higher redox
Given the low cost, high safety and the
"To enhance the usage of renewable ener-
fast charging performance of the proton
gies, we have to develop some more efficient
potential range to increase the battery output voltage,” Wu said.
We specialise in Industrial Test & Measurement Sensors/Transducers: Pressure, Temperature, Laser Displacement, Flowmeters, Water Meters, Pneumatic Controls, Joysticks, Rotary Encoders, Accelerometers and LVDTs Instrumentation: Dataloggers, DAQ Systems and Digital Display Units.
Slentech Pty Ltd | www.slentech.com.au | sales@slentech.com.au | Ph. 03 9837 5203 www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 21
Unlocking rooftops: a
‘game changer’ for renewable energy
As Australia accelerates its push for renewable energy, a major opportunity is being overlooked — commercial rooftops and car parks. From warehouses to factory buildings, these large, unused spaces in urban and industrial areas could be transformed into powerful sources of solar energy.
A
ccording to Partners in Per-
Experts at the company say that an op-
formance, a major barrier to
portunity being overlooked is the vast amount
ning, approval and delivery of new energy
renewable energy expansion
of unused commercial rooftop and car parking
To achieve this, we must look beyond the
in Australia is the strong op-
space in outer urban areas, at warehouses,
best puff of wind or patch of solar and find
position from rural communi-
freight and logistics hubs, and factories.
places to build more batteries and solar close
infrastructure.
ties who fear the takeover of arable land by
August’s 2024 Electricity Statement of
to readily achievable connections. In some
solar farms, wind turbines and transmission
Opportunities, the annual 10-year outlook
suburbs experiencing a lot of curtailment
pylons, all to satisfy the needs of EV-driving
for the National Electricity Market, produced
a step up in storage devices is needed to
city dwellers.
by grid operator AEMO, warned more at-
harness the green energy currently wasted.
tention had to be paid to consumer energy
Australia is famous for its urban sprawl.
Critics also cite infrastructure costs to connect a myriad of renewable sites to the
resources (CERs).
There are many large car parking lots and
grid and the inefficiencies that a decentralised
CERs include residential and commercial
roofs in urban areas — and we can fit them
system creates — the further electricity trav-
rooftop solar and batteries — to ensure power
with solar connected to batteries and the
els, the fewer electrons reach the end user.
system security is maintained.
grid. This is much more tractable, both in
While some of these concerns are rooted
Australian Industry Group CEO Innes
in reality, the truth is Australia needs to find
Willox was reported saying the AEMO re-
more ways to generate renewable energy
port showed there would be serious power
It would be an efficient use of space,
closer to consumers and industry, and it
shortfalls this decade, and she called for a
generate revenue for rooftop owners, and
has to happen now.
sustained national effort to speed up plan-
cut transmission costs for everyone.
22 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
terms of the bite size and the cost per unit of generation capacity.
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
solar energy
© Stock.Adobe.com/au/bombermoon
The grid operator now expects power usage from the grid to grow by 1.9% per annum over the coming decade, rather than the 3% predicted a year ago. The increasing size of rooftop household solar systems installed by households helped reduce the forecast. Energy Users Association of Australia CEO Andrew Richards has reportedly described these forecasts as “a little like astrology”, because it is difficult to predict future demand for Chinese EVs, while anticipated strong growth in demand from data centres and households switching from gas to electricity, further clouds the picture. Early indications are that businesses are heeding the call and see real value in fitting PVCs to their premises and/or grounds. According to a 2023 report by fintech company Smart Ease, the commercial solar market is seeing a surge, particularly in the 15–30 kW segment, with a growing preference for smaller commercial systems in the 10–15 kW range.
Factories and warehouses typically have
generation), and the fourth largest source of
Queensland and NSW are leading the
large, flat roofs that are ideal for solar
electricity generation, making up approximately
charge, with the 15–20 and 95–100 kW
panel installations. These roofs are rarely
11.2% of the country’s installed capacity for
segments dominating the market, collectively
overshadowed by trees and other buildings,
power supply.
accounting for 55% of recent installations.
making them highly suitable for generating
Last year, the state, territory and federal
30 kW of solar generation can typically
solar energy. Many industrial and logistic
energy and climate change ministers released
fit onto the combined roof space of two
sites also have a little bit of spare space
the National Consumer Energy Resources
average houses (100–250 square metres).
where batteries could go. Some batteries
Roadmap, reporting that one-third of Aus-
A big box warehouse (50,000–100,000 m2)
of up to 8 MW can now fit into four car
tralia’s households have installed rooftop solar.
can install more than 8 MW, the equivalent
spaces (think of a 20 ft container with extra
Total capacity of rooftop solar across Australia
of powering 1500+ homes.
space around it to distribute the weight). And
amounted to 22.6 GW in May 2024, more
Partners in Performance has assessed
the essential ingredient: connection sizes.
than seven times that of a decade earlier.
renewable assets for over 300 sites. Adding
Industrial sites have larger connections than
Nevertheless, total installed rooftop solar
batteries and EV charging to solar can boost
homes. This is essential for faster rollout
and other distributed solar capacity in the
savings by 10–50% for some industrial and
of batteries — in some Australian regions,
National Electricity Market is required to
warehouse owners.
connection upgrades can take anything from
reach more than 36 GW by 2029–30 under
Whatever Australia’s power needs over
AEMO’s 2024 ISP Step Change Scenario.
coming decades, every effort must be made
one to three years. Generating electricity onsite improves en-
Adding to the challenge is the difficulty of
to maximise sources of renewable energy and
ergy security by reducing dependence on the
predicting how much energy will be required
this means using large areas of vacant space
grid, and pairing it with batteries can mitigate
across the entire grid by then.
that can be fitted with power generation and storage close to businesses and consumers.
the impact of power outages or fluctuations as
AEMO’s 2024 Electricity Statement of
well as reduce energy costs for businesses.
Opportunities recently cut its forecast for
Using large commercial roof space, car
Collectively, rooftop solar is the second
the take-up of electric vehicles by one-third
parking spaces and existing connections
largest source of renewable electricity
over the next decade, as more motorists buy
improves business owners’ bottom lines and
generation in Australia (behind wind energy
hybrid cars, reducing pressure on the grid.
ESG credentials.
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 23
emissions management
Image credit: Ashleigh Kropp and Dr David Gillett.
The molecular architecture of the specialised enzyme that allows microbes to consume toxic CO from the atmosphere.
How microbes clean the atmosphere Microbes are microscopic living things found in water, soil, the air and animals’ bodies. There are millions of microbes within the human body. Also known as microorganisms, some microbes make people unwell, while others are important for our health. The most common types are bacteria, viruses and fungi.
W
Their study, which was led by Monash
“These microbes help clean our atmos-
University and has been published in Nature
phere,” Gillett said. “This counteracts air
Chemical Biology, investigated how microbes
pollution, which kills many millions of people
consume atmospheric CO at an atomic level.
each year, and also reduces global warming
It found that they use a special enzyme,
given CO is indirectly a greenhouse gas.”
called the CO dehydrogenase, to extract
While the team’s discovery is unlikely to
energy from the universally present but
be directly used to combat or monitor CO
highly toxic gas.
emissions, it deepens our knowledge of how
Co-first author Ashleigh Kropp, from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute’s
the atmosphere is regulated and how it might respond to future changes.
(BDI) Greening lab and The University of
Professor Chris Greening, co-senior author
Melbourne’s Grinter lab, said the study showed
and head of BDI’s Global Change Program,
hile microbes often get a bad
for the first time how this enzyme extracts
said the discovery highlighted the broader
rap, they can be beneficial in
atmospheric CO and powers cells.
importance of microbes.
surprising ways, including by
“This enzyme is used by trillions of
“Microbes play countless roles essential
helping to remove harmful
microbes in our soils and waters. These
for both human and planetary health. Yet,
carbon monoxide (CO) from
microbes consume CO for their own survival,
because they’re invisible and often misun-
but in the process inadvertently help us,”
derstood, their contributions frequently go
Kropp explained.
unnoticed,” he said.
the atmosphere. Over two billion tonnes of the deadly gas
are released into the atmosphere globally each
Co-first author Dr David Gillett, who
Kropp said microbes are a big reason
year; microbes consume about 250 million
completed his PhD research in the Green-
why our air was breathable. “They make
tonnes of this, reducing CO to safer levels.
ing lab, described the phenomenon as a
half the oxygen we breathe and detoxify
Now, Australian researchers have made a
fantastic example of microbial ‘ingenuity’,
various pollutants like CO. It’s crucial we
significant discovery about the way microbes
demonstrating how life has evolved ways to
better understand and appreciate how they
carry out this important task.
turn something toxic into something useful.
support our own survival,” she said.
24 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
Gorman-Rupp pump used in water delivery project Hydro Innovations was engaged by an engineering consultant to select pumps for Greater Western Water’s WIN project to deliver
The results The pumps run quietly and will deliver the flows required by SCADA
water to irrigation pivots and also to storage tanks on the north
reliably and without the need for an operator to be present. As
western fringe of Melbourne.
they are above ground, they are easily accessed by maintenance
Duty points ranging from 30 to 150 L/s at a constant pressure of 68 m for the pivots and 58 L/s at 43 m up to 115 L/s at 46 m for future flows were required from the same pumps.
Why did Greater Western Water select GormanRupp pumps for this project?
and operations without the need for lifting equipment, confined space entry or a large crew of people. Floating suction lines mean the pumps can operate across the changing water levels throughout the year without hassle. The supplied pump is part of Gorman-Rupp’s ‘Ultra V Series’ range of pumps, which are available in single or two-stage
Hydro Innovations provided the Gorman Rupp VS6A60S-B pump
configurations, giving them a pressure range between 10 and
with 110 kW motors. These pumps are a two-stage, self-priming
95 m. They are available in three sizes (3", 4" and 6"), with
pump capable of delivering the full flow ranges, either using a
flow ranges from 10 L/s through to 100 L/s. Predominantly a
single pump or running two pumps in parallel. Although designed
wastewater pump, they can also be fitted with Gorman-Rupp’s
by Gorman-Rupp for wastewater handling duties, including raw
‘eradicator solids management system’ to enable the pumps to
sewage, the pumps are so efficient and produce high enough
handle stringy materials such as rags, feathers and wet wipes.
pressures for them to be a suitable selection for this application for Greater Western Water. Greater Western Water was impressed by the simplicity of the solution and the great quality of the Gorman Rupp pump. Hydro
Pumps can operate on suction lifts to 7.6 m, allowing them to be mounted ‘high and dry’ at ground level, allowing easy and safe access for operators to monitor and maintain them. More information on these pumps may be obtained from Hydro
Innovations delivered the pump sets coupled to the motors on
Innovations via email or phone (02) 9898 1800.
galvanised steel bases ready to be bolted to the pipework and
Hydro Innovations
connected to power.
www.hydroinnovations.com.au
Greater Western Water utilises Gorman-Rupp in water delivery project.
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 25
Recycled end-of-life solar panels trialled for concrete Boral Limited (Boral) has trialled a new recycled sand for concrete using crushed glass from end-of-life and damaged solar panels. This new concrete trial has been specifically created for Victoria’s North East Link project, a large infrastructure investment in Melbourne’s north-east that will construct 6.5 km of tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen. Solar glass sand is an environmentally sustainable replacement product to traditional sand, a natural diminishing resource essential to the building and construction industry. The innovation was driven by Spark North East Link Design
Boral solar glass sand trial at Bulleen Concrete Plant
& Construct Joint Venture (Spark), a consortium comprising construction companies and a large Australian road and tunnel
Boral has conducted an assessment of plastic properties
operator — which has engaged Boral’s expertise to produce
including consistency and finishing and has undertaken hardened
and trial concrete with the solar glass sand. The University of
property testing for compliance with relevant standards. Results
Melbourne has supported Spark with development and testing.
so far have been good.
Boral sourced the glass from ElecSome, an Australian solar
Dr Ali Nezhad, Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Boral,
panel upcycling plant that collects end-of-life or damaged solar
said, “We’re excited to be leading the development of concrete mixes
panels. The glass was crushed and processed at Elecsome’s
containing solar glass sand, an innovative new product that will be
recycling facility, then blended with up to 50% natural sand.
used in Victoria’s biggest project in history. The success of this
A variety of concrete mixes using solar glass sand have been
sustainable concrete mix in a commercial project provides an effective
created by Boral. Test loads of concrete were transported from
pathway for recycling of end-of-life solar panels and contributes
the Tullamarine plant to its recently opened Bulleen Concrete
further to sustainability of the construction and building industry.”
Plant, which supplies concrete to the North East Link project,
Boral
and a trial concrete slab has been laid onsite.
www.boral.com.au
Councils collectively save on energy iStock.com/Thinnapob
Thirteen regional New South Wales councils have pooled their
Emissions reduction: By opting for renewable energy to
resources to make the shift to renewable energy via a power
power their large sites and streetlighting, the councils will avoid
purchase agreement (PPA) coordinated by the Hunter Joint
an estimated 185,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (t/
Organisation and Mid North Coast Joint Organisation.
CO2e) over the duration of the agreement. The procurement
The Powering Tomorrow: Regional Councils NSW PPA will secure
of renewable energy though this deal will help the councils to
fixed pricing for the councils up until the end of 2030. Under the
decarbonise their operations and progress towards local, state
agreement, the councils will collectively receive over 390 gigawatt
and national net zero targets.
hours of electricity for 163 large council sites and streetlighting.
Cost savings and budget certainty: By purchasing as a group,
The participating councils are Bellingen Shire, Berrigan Shire,
the councils were able to lock in renewable electricity at a competitive
Edward River, Griffith City, Leeton Shire, Maitland City, MidCoast,
price through to the end of 2030, collectively saving an estimated
Murray River, Murrumbidgee, Muswellbrook Shire, Narrandera Shire,
$5.3m compared to their 2024 electricity rates. The deal also shields
Port Macquarie-Hastings and Upper Hunter Shire.
councils from volatility in the electricity market that can unexpectedly
Over the six years of the agreement, an estimated 83% of
increase costs, providing long-term budget certainty.
the electricity supplied to council sites will be from renewable
Supporting the local economy: Renewable energy purchased
energy generators in NSW, with nine of the 13 councils opting
under the deal will come from several of Iberdrola Australia’s
for 100% renewable energy for the entire term.
NSW-based renewable energy projects: the Capital Wind Farm,
The PPA brings various benefits for the participating councils:
26 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
Avonlie Solar Farm and Bodangora Wind Farm.
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
Sydney Water trials mobile PFAS treatment unit
Sydney Water’s Water Quality Manager, Corinna Doolan, at Cascade Water Filtration Plant, next to the mobile PFAS treatment unit.
Sydney Water’s newly commissioned mobile PFAS treatment unit
produced at the Cascade WFP will soon be consistently below
at Cascade Water Filtration Plant (WFP) has started to reduce the
the proposed guidelines.
levels of PFAS during the first month of a new treatment trial.
“We will continue testing the treated water at Cascade to provide
Recent testing indicated that water processed through the
the Blue Mountains community with confidence in the quality of their
mobile PFAS treatment has reduced PFAS levels below the
drinking water, and to demonstrate Sydney Water’s commitment to
proposed Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG).
delivering water that meets the highest standards,” Cheroux said.
Sydney Water Managing Director Roch Cheroux said this swift result affirms Sydney Water’s commitment to continue delivering safe and high-quality drinking water across the network.
Member for the Blue Mountains Trish Doyle said she is excited to see the mobile PFAS treatment unit in operation. “I welcome this positive news and the tireless efforts by Sydney
“Our teams worked around the clock to deliver this important
Water to assure the Blue Mountains community every effort is being
work at Cascade WFP, and to see the results start to shift is a
made to deliver safe drinking water of the highest quality,” Doyle said.
testament to their efforts,” Cheroux said.
The treatment trial is part of Sydney Water’s Long Term Capital
The $3.4 million mobile PFAS treatment plant, which treats
and Operational Plan (LTCOP) — an adaptive roadmap designed
four megalitres (ML) of water per day, will remain in use for up
to deliver essential upgrades and new infrastructure across the
to three years as part of a strategy to treat water in the Blue
network through to 2050.
Mountains catchment.
The LTCOP proposes an investment of more than $30 billion
Using granular activated carbon (GAC) filters and ion exchange
over the next decade to ensure Sydney Water can continue
technology, the mobile PFAS treatment plant harnesses the latest
providing safe, sustainable and reliable water services to meet
technology to remove PFAS from the water.
the needs of a rapidly expanding city.
Prior to the installation of the mobile PFAS treatment plant,
“Our LTCOP prioritises public health, environmental sustainability
the water produced at the Cascade WFP was compliant with
and economic efficiency to allow us to maintain the highest level
the current ADWG. The mobile PFAS treatment plant will ensure
of service that our customers expect,” Cheroux said.
compliance with the proposed ADWG.
The final PFAS guidelines will be published by the National
“We have been testing the treated water from Cascade weekly
Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in April 2025.
and publishing the results on our website for the public to view,”
Once released, Sydney Water will work closely with NSW Health
Cheroux said.
to implement the guidelines and ensure compliance to any updated
“With the mobile PFAS treatment plant online, the results have
regulatory requirements.
shown a continued decline in PFAS concentrations and Sydney
Sydney Water Corporation
Water is confident the concentration of the PFAS in the water
www.sydneywater.com.au
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 27
Choosing the best evaporation technique for digestate and sludge Arnold Kleijn, Sales Director, HRS Heat Exchangers
O
ver the last couple of years, we have seen increased interest in MVR for evaporation. Given the turbulent rise and fall of energy markets since
2020 this is understandable, as the electrical energy employed in MVR is normally considerably cheaper than the thermal energy needed for traditional evaporation. However, there are a number of limiting factors and key considerations when using MVR — particularly for very thick and viscous products like digestate and sludges — which can add to the capital cost (and complexity) of an MVR-based evaporation solution. It is there-
Due to their thick, viscous nature, digestates and sludges are among the most challenging materials to evaporate efficiently and effectively. However, the benefits in terms of handling, disposal and treatment can be significant. While there is considerable interest in using mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) evaporation techniques, the complex nature of digestate means that MVR may not always be the best choice.
fore very important that all these elements are considered from the outset, so that an accurate investment decision based on both capital (CapEx) and operational (OpEx) costs can be made.
MVR versus traditional evaporation Traditional evaporation techniques use a high-temperature service fluid (such as pressurised steam) to raise the temperature of the product above its boiling point so that water (and other volatile compounds) is driven off, leaving a more concentrated solution. The principal source of energy for this process is therefore the fuel used to heat the water (steam) in the boiler, such as gas or oil. In MVR, the steam which comes off the product in the evaporator is channelled into a compressor which increases the pressure (and therefore the temperature). This steam, which is now above the boiling point of the product, is then used as the service
28 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
wastewater management
iStock.com/sompong_tom
fluid for the evaporator. As the compres-
if you want to use MVR evaporation you will
sor uses an electric motor, the process is
need to pre-treat the product to remove as
driven by electricity rather than thermal
many of these solids as possible, usually via
energy. Because the compressor reuses/
filtration, in order to achieve the necessary
recycles evaporated steam, a lot of latent
rates of heat transfer in the heat exchanger.
heat is recovered. This makes MVR one of
Again, adding this pre-treatment step adds
the cheapest methods of evaporating water
significant capital costs and reduces potential
in terms of operational costs.
energy savings during operation.
Limitations of MVR
2000 and 3000 ppm of ammonia. Pre-treating
However, because of the way MVR works,
the product with acid to reduce the pH can
there are some inherent limitations in the
neutralise the ammonia, preventing it from
process which traditional thermal evaporation
evaporating and reducing the risk of dam-
does not suffer from. When evaporating at
age to the compressor, but once again this
atmospheric pressure, depending on the type
need for acid dosing adds additional cost
of compressor, the temperature rise provided
and operational complexity. You also need
by the compressor is typically between 8
to consider the nature of the material and
and 15°C. The relatively small temperature
the necessary combination of chemical and
difference between the service fluid and
physical pre-treatment.
the boiling point of the product (~100°C)
As no two sludges are the same, at HRS
means that heat transfer between the two
we always test the material that any client
is limited and you need a large surface area
will be working with in order to determine
to achieve it. To put it simply, you need a
not only the best heat exchanger solution
large heat exchanger.
for the evaporation process, but also what
In contrast, boilers can deliver maximum steam pressure of up to 8 or 10 bar, mean-
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
pre-treatment may be necessary.
ing an effective temperature of 160 or 180°C.
Conclusions
Even if general operation is below these levels,
Evaporating digestate and sludges using MVR
the fact is that steam from a boiler will be
is certainly possible and HRS Heat Exchangers
considerably hotter than from a compressor.
has supplied such systems where they are
The greater temperature difference means that
appropriate. However, our experience has
less transfer surface area is required, and you
shown that careful consideration, including
can utilise a much smaller heat exchanger.
the system modifications which may be
Because of the thick nature and high fouling
required to ensure efficient and effective
potential of many digestates and sludges, in
evaporation of the project, is essential in
most cases you need a relatively large sur-
order to determine the most suitable and
face area to achieve sufficient heat transfer.
most economical technology for each project.
Because of the limitations of compressors
For example, do the high capital costs of an
in terms of service fluid temperature, the
MVR-powered evaporation solution outweigh
required heat exchangers and pumps can be
the reduced operational costs? For many
exceptionally large indeed. Not only does this
digestate applications, traditional thermal-
increase the capital cost significantly, but as
based evaporation technologies remain the
you need larger pumps to push the product
best economic choice, but every situation
through the larger heat exchanger, you also
must be assessed on its own merits.
require more energy for operation, so the
It is important that the nature of the product
operational cost benefits begin to reduce.
is thoroughly assessed and understood, and
Specific issues with digestate and sludges Digestates and sludges are challenging to evaporate because of their physical and chemical properties.
Digestate also typically contains between
that all the necessary parts of a complete system are specified and included from the outset, so that an accurate investment deci-
Digestate and sludges often contain suspended
sion based on all the necessary information
solids, which increase the viscosity of the
can be made. Otherwise, you could end up
product when evaporated, adding further to
with an expensive solution which does not
the challenges described above. Therefore,
perform as expected.
March 2025 - Sustainability Matters 29
Fighting waste by counting flies An innovative tech collaboration is helping to finesse a low-cost rubbish recycling process that relies on the insatiable appetite of black soldier fly larvae. Biotech company ARC Ento Tech, based on the NSW Central Coast, is helping to process landfill in the state by using the larvae of this common fly to eat the organic waste that’s part of mixed solid waste. Once all the organic waste is eaten, the larvae are recovered and converted into commercial products, including organic fertiliser and a nutrient-rich insect meal for chickens, while the inorganic waste is converted into an industrial reductant that iStock.com/Jaka Suryanta
can replace coking coal. As larvae, black soldier flies will eat almost anything, from food waste to manure, before they become adults and lose their mouths. This makes them a valuable addition to the recycling process. To make its system more efficient, ARC Ento Tech needs more fly larvae to be produced by adult flies in the recycling hatch, but until now, there has been no accurate way to measure black soldier flies’ reproductive behaviour. This is where a neuromorphic system created by Western Sydney University researchers can help. “While ARC Ento Tech have created ideal conditions for the black soldier fly larvae to flourish in the recycling hatch, they
accurate fly counting, which ensures 95% accuracy in dynamic lighting,” said Professor Subhas Mukhopadhyay from the School of Engineering at Macquarie University.
don’t know the speed at which black soldier flies can breed larvae
“By integrating neuromorphic sensing technologies to an IoT-
and the number of larvae they produce,” said Project Lead Dr
enabled system, the system demonstrates the effectiveness and
Alexandre Marcireau from the International Centre for Neuromorphic
accuracy of the event-based counting system for tracking and
Systems at Western Sydney University.
analysing the movements of black soldier flies remotely.
“Optimising the breeding of the flies requires precise knowledge
“Collaborating with ARC Ento Tech, we have adapted advanced
of the number of flies that move from the ‘growing area’ where
neuromorphic sensing to improve operational efficiency in fly breeding,
they eat waste, into the ‘breeding room’ where they breed and
showcasing how practical innovation can reduce environmental
deposit larvae eggs. If we can count these fast-moving objects,
impact and support sustainable agriculture,” Mukhopadhyay said.
then the recycler can systematically quantify the impact of breeding
The project was funded by the NSW Smart Sensing Network,
parameters such as temperature, light intensity and amount of food, and engineer an optimised system with significantly higher yields of larvae.” It is difficult for conventional cameras and sensors to capture
and its results have been published in IEEE Sensors. “This is a great example of a genuine collaboration between all parties,” said NSW Smart Sensing Network Environment & Agriculture Theme Lead Dr Tom Hu.
this sort of data due to the high speed and number of flies. The
“Western Sydney University had developed their neuromorphic
system designed by the Western Sydney University team is based
sensing expertise from the space domain, and the mechatronic
on a neuromorphic camera: technology that uses sensors to
engineering capability at Macquarie University helped bring this into
collect only useful data, and which has been inspired by biology
a new environment. The technology looks to now improve operational
to accurately observe fast-moving objects, including flies.
efficiencies in breeding flies — aiding ARC Ento Tech,” Hu said.
The ‘High Speed Counting of Black Soldier Flies’ project utilised
The solution comes at a time when Greater Sydney is on the
the world-leading neuromorphic vision capabilities at Western
brink of a waste crisis due to a lack of landfill space. Almost
Sydney University in collaboration with Macquarie University
70% of the mixed solid waste generated in Australia in 2018
researchers who delivered the hardware that allowed the sensor
was buried in landfill.
to operate inside the breeding cages. “The FlyCount system was developed with neuromorphic vision sensors and a custom spike detection algorithm for real-time,
30 Sustainability Matters - March 2025
It is hoped the results of the project can be scaled up to help tackle this problem, as well as opening the door to other applications such as beehive monitoring.
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
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