Sustainability Matters Mar 2025

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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a decline in water storage.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the rainfall deficiency that began in southern parts of Australia in April 2023 reflects

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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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Carolyn Jackson sm@wfmedia.com.au

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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4 Sustainability Matters - March 2025

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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.

www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au

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

www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au

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

www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au

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

www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au

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

www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au

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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