Emission Control is Stockhead’s fortnightly take on all the big news surrounding developments in renewable energy.
Coles (ASX:COL) is partnering with Queensland’s Mort & Co Grassdale Feedlot – one of the largest managers of lot fed cattle in Australia – to trial a new feed supplement that reduces methane emissions from beef cattle.
While others have launched plans to curb the digestive emissions of cows, Coles’ method is considerably more humane and involves a dietary supplement rather than masks that are the stuff of nightmares.
Around 9,800 feedlot cattle will form part of the trial that aims to study how effectively the feed supplement, Boaver, reduces methane in cattle.
Boaver acts as a methane inhibitor, suppressing the enzyme that triggers methane production in an animal’s stomach.
International studies have already demonstrated Bovaer to be successful in reducing methane emissions, but this trial will be the first in Australia to test the feed supplement in a real-world, large-scale commercial feedlot of industry size and scale.
In a separate study of 20 cattle funded by Meat and Livestock Australia, a quarter teaspoon of Boaver per day was found to reduce methane emissions by between 60–90%.
The Australian red meat and livestock industry goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030 and Coles executive Leah Weckert says this trial is one that the supermarket giant is working with suppliers to innovate for better sustainability outcomes.
“This trial is going to give us a wealth of data and knowledge to help us understand how we can reduce emissions in one part of our supply chain, while continuing to deliver quality meat to our customers.”
Coles will provide grading data to be analysed while specialised cattle veterinarians and researchers – Bovine Dynamics – will produce a research paper outlining the findings of the stud, which will be published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal.
The Waratah Super Battery, which will partially offset the closure of Eraring Power Station within NSW’s Hunter Renewable Energy Zone, has been declared as Critical State Significant Infrastructure in a move that recognises the immediate priority of the project.
With a capacity of 700MW, it will be the largest standby network battery in the Southern Hemisphere when it comes online in 2024 and together with other minor transmission upgrades, will allow Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong consumers to access more energy from existing electricity generation.
Two other major projects are also in the process of gaining approval in the eastern state – the $1.08bn EnergyConnect, a critical electric interconnector between NSW, South Australia and Victoria, and the second being new transmission lines to connect Snowy 2.0 to the grid.
“The Waratah Super Battery will act as a giant shock absorber so that transmission capacity kept in reserve can be freed up to transfer energy to consumers,” Keane explained.
“These three projects are vital for the state’s energy future, with EnergyConnect helping build the capacity of the grid and get renewable energy from southwest NSW and South Australia flowing around the state.
“By having these strong connections and batteries in place, more energy will be available to everyone and further improve the grid’s reliability, meaning prices will come down and power bills across the state will be lower.”
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Provaris has executed an MoU with leading French renewable energy company, Total Eren, to further their cooperation on the development of solutions to transport green hydrogen projects to Asia and Europe – where the application of Provaris’ compressed hydrogen storage and transport supply chain can be applied.
The agreement includes the development of solutions that will meet the requirements of offtakers, port authorities, shipyards and ship operators.
It also provides Provaris with a key partner to facilitate and accelerate the delivery of the first fleet of GH2 Carrier ‘H2Neo’, including investigation of future financing scheme.
TNG is advancing a number of green energy initiatives as part of its strategic approach to reducing net carbon emissions from the Mount Peake Vanadium-Titanium Project, around 235km northwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
On Monday the ~$187m market cap stock said it plans to target a net reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, including an ultimate goal of “Net Zero” by 2050, which requires TNG to consider medium and longer-term strategic planning horizons for its carbon emissions management.
A key focus for TNG is on reducing carbon emissions from planned processing operations at Mount Peake where it has engaged Metso Outotec to conduct a study and assess the use of hydrogen reduction within the TIVAN® Process, which provides for the extraction of three high-quality products from titanomagnetite ore bodies.
Australia’s National Native Title Tribunal has now registered SI2022/001 Barngarla/Central Eyre Iron Project Amended ILUA on the Register of Indigenous Land Use Agreements.
This provides certainty to bidders in the competitive green hydrogen expression of interest (EOI) stage that the process is now underway.
Fourteen domestic and international green hydrogen proponents are expected to participate – an increase from the 10 parties that confirmed commercial interest in July.
IRD says the amended ILUA, tailored to a nascent green hydrogen industry, provides inherent de-risked value and first mover advantages for bidders in the EoI which will close during Q4 2022.
EdenCrete products are carbon-strengthened concrete additives that enhance performance characteristics of the concrete including compressive strength, abrasion resistance, reduced permeability and increased elasticity.
This week, the company revealed its EdenCrede products would be used in two projects at Denver International Airport and one project at former Stapleton International Airport grounds, which will require roughly US$252,000 ($366,000) worth of EdenCrete.
The three projects, running concurrently, include a four-storey concrete training centre, aircraft de-icing pad, and concrete panel replacement.
“Not only is it a wonderful reference for other airports both in the USA and elsewhere, but indeed it is equally relevant for any form of land or coastal/marine based infrastructure or commercial projects, that may face similar extreme climatic or operating conditions,” the company said.
In a strategic partnership with Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Sparc is looking to develop a hard carbon production process targeting the sodium-ion battery industry in what has been dubbed ‘The Sustainable Hard Carbon Anode Project’.
These hard carbon materials will be characterised and tested in a sodium-ion cell format at QUT’s facilities for battery development and testing under a binding, strategic partnership which will run for three years.
The main objective is to develop functional materials using graphene and carbon material and related manufacturing process technologies, for a range of applications including the coatings, composites, cementitious and energy industries.
Altech has executed a Joint Venture Shareholders’ Agreement with world-leading German battery institute Fraunhofer IKTS to commercialise IKTS’ revolutionary CERENERGY Sodium Alumina Solid State Battery.
The battery technology uses table salt and nickel, so it’s lithium-free, cobalt-free, graphite-free, and copper-free, eliminating exposure to critical metal price rises and supply chain concerns.
Altech believes that Sodium Alumina Solid State (SAS) CERENERGY batteries are the game-changing grid storage alternative to lithium-ion batteries due to being fire and explosion-proof, having a life span of more than 15 years and being able to operate in extreme cold and desert climates.
ATC is set to become the majority owner at 75% of the JV company and will commercialise a 100MWh project to be constructed on Altech’s land in Schwarze Pumpe, Germany.
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