Australian drone manufacturer and solutions provider Carbonix has partnered with SA Power Networks and Nokia to advance the use of long-range uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in aerial inspection work and flood monitoring on remote electricity distribution network assets.

A Carbonix Volanti UAV was used to prove the beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) capability using a Nokia private wireless solution and Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) for industrial-grade long-range wireless network connectivity in the initial phase of the partnership. This paved the way for a continuation of the partnership in which Carbonix UAVs demonstrated LiDAR capabilities for maintenance and floodwater monitoring at remote asset locations.

South Australia’s electricity distribution network covers an area of nearly 180,000 km², with 30% of customers living in regional and remote areas of the state. Carbonix UAVs with BVLOS capability may be used to assist in speeding up the utility providers’ response times to outages affecting these customers, asset inspection cycles, fault finding, bushfire preparedness, maintenance work and line re-stringing while improving safety and efficiency for employees.

“Carbonix long-range UAVs will enable asset owners and operators to carry out inspections on remote linear infrastructure by providing an extended flight range of over 500 km on par with helicopters at significantly reduced cost and impact on communities and the environment. The partnership with SA Power Networks and Nokia is a great testament of driving innovation in a traditionally conservative industry and we are honoured to be working with these two great companies,” said Phillip van der Burg, CEO, Carbonix.

Specialised multi-rotor drones have been used for some areas of maintenance, including to help re-string powerlines over an area of sensitive native vegetation, but SA Power Networks continues to rely on helicopters for overhead line inspections. Drones provide an alternative when helicopters would not be suitable or safe to operate.

The operational and environmental benefits of replacing helicopters with Carbonix drones could see up to 80% reduction in operating cost and up to 98% reduction in CO₂ output compared with conventional manned aircraft.

Paul Roberts, Head of Corporate Affairs, SA Power Networks, said the business had been developing drone capability with 30 trained pilots across 30 depots already able to operate limited visual line of sight missions.

“Drones have proven themselves in a range of our operations. We believe the full value of drones to enhance the safety of our people and improve our efficiency will come with BVLOS capability,” Roberts said. “This trial will help us demonstrate the value of BVLOS to aviation authorities in Australia, who currently do not approve beyond the horizon drone use.”

The successful integration of 4.9G/5G modems into Carbonix drones’ communications systems has resulted in greater redundancy, higher bandwidth, increased coverage and lower costs to obtain real-time data from drones engaged in long-range BVLOS operations.

Rob McCabe, Head of Enterprise for Australia and New Zealand, Nokia, said, “We are proud to bring our industrial-grade private wireless leadership to South Australia enabling exciting new use cases that we’re developing here at our 5G Industrial Incubation Lab. Together with our technology partners, SA Power Networks and Carbonix, we’re exploring the advanced use of long-range connected drones for inspection and maintenance of electricity distribution networks, which will bring safer, more efficient and more sustainable operations.”

“BVLOS certification is a prerequisite for long-range UAV missions, allowing for more effective critical data collection, which enables better and preventative measures to enhance the safety for all stakeholders,” van der Burg said.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/case-study/sa-testing-drone-technology-for-power-grid-maintenance-1599298124

Fairview announced its Ecoloop recycling facility has won a Product Stewardship Award for Best Stewardship Outcomes by an SME business. This award is in recognition of Ecoloop’s ability to recycle and repurpose combustible cladding from at-risk facades.

The Product Stewardship Excellence Awards are run by the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence and supported by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. They recognise industry-wide stewardship achievements, particularly in the area of emissions and sustainability. Several organisations including Biopak, Dulux and NSW Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme also won awards.

Professor Damien Giurco, Chair of the awards judging panel, said, “Fairview’s Ecoloop is a recycling solution for aluminium composite panel cladding aimed at diverting 100% of waste from landfill as part of a national replacement of non-compliant cladding. Judges were inspired by the complete circular nature of their program, and its successes in ensuring that each component of the separated materials was further utilised, namely aluminium, polyethylene, ferrous metals and mixed residuals. They also noted that the program has considerable potential to be scaled.”

The award follows a recent report showing that, since January 2021, Ecoloop has diverted 309 t of cladding rectification waste away from landfill projects, was able to offset 2.254 t of CO₂ via recycling processes and had diverted 100% of the ACP cladding collected from a variety of cladding brands, away from landfill destinations.

Gary Norris, National Manager Rectification & Recycling, Fairview, said, “With data showing that 58.3 kgs of carbon are offset for every m² recycled via Ecoloop, we could recycle much more if every cladding brand or company and government agency sent their at-risk and combustible cladding to Ecoloop to be repurposed as recycled material or sustainable building materials.”

Ecoloop has previously been named a finalist in the Urban Developer Awards for Excellence in Sustainability across Australia and New Zealand.

Image caption: iStock.com/ReneNotenbomer

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/cladding-recycling-scheme-wins-stewardship-award-1113493450

Sydney Water has been awarded a major contract to upgrade the Castle Hill Water Recycling Plant in Sydney’s North-West. The investment will aim to ensure a more efficient and integrated wastewater system to cater for growth in the area and help keep waterways clean.

The contract for the site upgrade has been awarded to Abergeldie and is part of the North-West Treatment Hub, a larger project that will link the Castle Hill, Rouse Hill and Riverstone plants with each other.

Several improvements addressing the environmental impact of the plant on the local area are at the heart of the project, including the reduction of noise and odour levels at the site. The project will see the installation of a new odour control facility, new pumps and pipes in the existing bioreactor, upgrades to switch rooms and transformers, an ultraviolet disinfection system and the demolition of redundant facilities.

Bernard Clancy, Sydney Water Project Director, said the plant is an important piece of infrastructure that will leave a positive legacy.

“The upgrade of the Castle Hill plant is all about building a more sustainable system that will not only continue to provide a reliable wastewater service, but also contribute to reducing our energy and carbon footprint through renewable energy,” Clancy said.

Stephen Gasson, Abergeldie Executive General Manager, expressed his excitement to be involved in the project.

“We’re thrilled to be delivering this important upgrade. Our selection for this project exemplifies our close working relationship with Sydney Water, our cultural alignment and our shared vision for the sustainable delivery of this complex project,” he said.

Upgrades to the Castle Hill Water Recycling Plant will commence in 2023.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/news/major-upgrade-planned-for-castle-hill-water-recycling-plant-501531309

Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek announced today (16 November 2022) that Australia will join the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution ahead of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee Meeting (INC1) in Uruguay later this year.

Co-led by Norway and Rwanda, the High Ambition Coalition is a group of 30 like-minded countries, including the UK, Germany, France and Canada, advocating for an ambitious global plastics treaty to cap plastic production and ultimately end single-use plastic.

The overarching goal of the coalition is to end plastic pollution by 2040 by: 

• restraining the consumption and production of plastic to sustainable levels
• enabling a circular economy for plastics in which plastic products are either reused, recycled or remanufactured when no longer useful or required for their initial purposes
• achieving environmentally sound management and recycling of waste plastic.
   

Australia has also signed the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, fulfilling Minister Plibersek’s promise at the UN Oceans Conference that Australia would sign up to the Global Commitment by the end of the year.

“Plastic pollution is a global problem and it’s going to require global solutions,” Plibersek said.

“That’s why we’re delighted to join the High Ambition Coalition and the Global Commitment.

“My vision is for us to achieve a plastic-free Pacific within our lifetime.

“Through the High Ambition Coalition and the Global Commitment, we look forward to strengthening partnerships across the globe to stamp out plastic pollution.”

Given the recent suspension of the REDcycle national soft plastics recycling scheme, the commitment from the government has been welcomed by most in the industry but some questions still remain as to how these goals will be achieved.

Terence Jeyaretnam, EY‘s APAC Leader and Partner, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, said: “This new commitment is critical for Australia, but at this early stage questions remain open as to how the target will be achieved, what incentives will be put in place, will caps be allocated within plastic industries to lock in the rate of change needed to achieve the commitment.

“I’d like to see the government work closely with industry to focus, where possible, on the elimination of plastic packaging to start with; and with what’s left in the economy, work on more streamlined and efficient collection of recyclables underpinned by a growing market for products made from recycled content.

“For the circular economy to work effectively, we need to rebuild trust in Australia’s recycling capability. We need to better support the right recycling behaviours at a household level, we need the right processes and infrastructure in place, and we need the right incentives for companies to be using recycled plastics for goods that require it in place of virgin plastic.”

Image credit: iStock.com/jittawit.21

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/waste/news/australia-signs-up-to-help-end-global-plastic-pollution-1057772169

Evolution Group Holdings (Evolution) has announced that it has entered an exclusive partnership with Tembo, the electric vehicle subsidiary of VivoPower International PLC (VivoPower), for the full electrification of its fleet of light utility vehicles for traffic and fleet management. The agreement aims to convert 500 existing and new vehicles to full electric over a five-year period, with the aim of having the first electric vehicle certified and roadworthy in 2023.

Kerry Daly, Non-Executive Chairman at Evolution, said, “Evolution is constantly evaluating opportunities to offer innovative and competitive solutions to its clients and to the industry as a whole. We have one of the largest fleet of vehicles for traffic management services across Australia and New Zealand, and being the first to commit fully to electrification of our vehicles will help to set new eco-friendly standards for the industry.

“After a review of proposals and capabilities of different electric vehicle conversion companies, the independent board members of Evolution have selected Tembo on the basis of their global experience, capability to deliver, training and change management credentials as well as the broader VivoPower sustainable energy solutions offering.”

It is expected that 80 traffic management vehicles will be fully electrified by Tembo in the first phase, subject to the successful completion of commercial and technical on-road trials.

Evolution is claimed to be the first traffic management company to commit to fleet electrification and repowering, which aligns with its objective to deliver cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions for clients from both the private and public sectors in Australia and New Zealand.

Gary Challinor, Chief Operating Officer of VivoPower, said, “We are delighted to have been selected for this important agreement and partnership to repower Evolution’s fleet of light utility vehicles for traffic control and fleet management. It is a first for the repowering of an existing fleet in Australia and New Zealand and also a first for the traffic management sector.

“We are looking forward to working closely with Evolution, not only to provide conversion EV powertrain kits, ruggedisation and customisation, but also importantly to deliver training and change management, as well as complementary sustainable energy solutions.”

Sharing plans to expand the company, Challinor added, “Tembo is currently evaluating options and in discussions with financiers for establishing assembly facilities in Australia and is considering South East Queensland as a preferred location.”

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/evolution-to-fully-electrify-light-utility-fleet-788398919

A recent report by the United Nation’s (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation identified soil pollution as a major threat to the global production of safe and sufficient food. It noted that removing pollutants from soil is “a technically complex and costly undertaking, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of millions USD per year”.

A University of South Australia (UniSA) team including Associate Professor Haolan Xu and Dr Gary Owens developed a remediation technique that uses a solar evaporation surface to draw water from the soil through a sponge-like filter that traps contaminants, mimicking the process of transpiration that occurs in natural plants, but at an accelerated rate.

“Plants naturally draw mineral components out of the soil when they move water from their roots into their stems, leaves and flowers, where those mineral components are trapped,” Owens said. “This means plants can be used to extract contaminants from soil, but the process is very, very slow, often taking multiple growing seasons, particularly in heavily contaminated situations, where the soil toxicity means the plants struggle to grow and often die.

“We have created a system that mimics this process — a form of biomimetic plant — but one that does so at a much faster rate and without any of the problems caused by toxicity.”

Globally, over 10 million sites are considered soil-polluted, with more than half contaminated by heavy metals such as cadmium and lead, or metalloids such as arsenic.

The new system is designed to remove such contaminants in as little as two weeks.

“The solar evaporator used in this system is a variation of technology we are developing for many purposes, including desalination and wastewater purification,” Xu said. “We are achieving world-leading evaporation rates with this technology in many other areas, and as far as we know, this is the first time this approach has been applied to soil remediation. It is a very exciting adaptation of solar evaporation techniques, with huge potential for addressing a growing global problem.”

Both the evaporator and the contaminant-capture component are made from low-cost, abundantly available materials, and the system requires little maintenance, with minimal set-up and running costs.

“Installing this system is about as easy as driving some stakes into the ground,” Xu said. “And unlike some existing soil washing techniques, it doesn’t disturb or destroy the soil composition. Also, the water that is added to the soil could be captured from the evaporator and recycled, meaning this could operate as a closed system, with almost no running costs.”

Owens says removing the captured contaminants from the biomimetic plant body is a relatively simple process.

“Those materials can be harvested for reuse, and the adsorption material, which has a very high saturation point, can be reused over and over again,” he said.

The remediation technique has been successfully tested on a range of heavy metals including lead, chromium, cadmium and zinc, and the research team believes it may prove a viable approach to removing other major contaminants.

“By adjusting the properties of the adsorption material, we could use this to remove antibiotics or PFAS from soil, and to reduce soil salinity,” Xu said.

“As it is so simple and adaptable, this really could be a complete game changer — a paradigm shift — for soil remediation,” Owens said. “And that could have a massive impact on millions of people around the world.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Ivan-balvan

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/dirt-cheap-solution-to-soil-pollution-problem-989624412

Perth residents can now access real-time data about the air they breathe, with early analysis from the RAC Air Health Monitor revealing nowhere in Perth is immune from unhealthy air.

Between March and October 2022, over 1.6 million readings were taken from the network of sensors, with results showing Perth regularly experienced air pollution higher than levels recommended by the World Health Organisation.

RAC Group Executive Patrick Walker said there was no safe level of air pollution.

“Since monitoring began, all locations have at some point exceeded the healthy standards for air pollution,” Walker said. “While Australia’s air quality is certainly not the worst in the world, air pollution contributed to more than 3200 Australian deaths in 2018, a 26% increase from 2015. Despite these concerning numbers there has been a lack of quality data telling us what, where and when emissions strike in our community. This is the information gap we are addressing through the RAC Air Health Monitor to help drive down vehicle emissions in WA.”

Perth joins major cities Paris, London and Los Angeles in the use of this technology, with sensors provided by Californian technology company Clarity Movement Co, and a platform designed by engineering firm Ramboll.

“We’re proud to see the RAC Air Health Monitor become publicly available,” Clarity’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr Meiling Gao, said. “This the most comprehensive air sensor monitoring network in Australia, and we’re eager to see what impact it has in the months and years to come.”

The RAC Air Health Monitor is one of the largest air sensor networks in the country, with more than 200 sensors planned for installation. RAC is partnering with a range of schools and local governments to create a footprint of nearly 10,000 square kilometres across Perth.

“Insights from the RAC Air Health Monitor will enable and hopefully encourage governments to prioritise transport and planning policies and investments that reduce overall vehicle emissions and create cleaner and healthier air for everyone,” Walker said. “We also hope to inform and encourage individual behavioural change. We want more people to choose cleaner travel options — to drive less and choose to catch public transport, walk and cycle instead.”

Transport is a major source of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in built-up areas. The RAC Air Health Monitor measures particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide from various sources, including vehicle emissions, building and industry emissions and dust.

Image caption: iStock.com/milehightraveler

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/nowhere-in-perth-immune-from-unhealthy-air-sensors-reveal-300839418

As the federal government now develops its National Electric Vehicle Strategy, the Climate Council has released its Race to Zero Ranking 2022 which shows how some of the car manufacturers that supply vehicles to Australia are racing towards the switch to electric, zero-emissions vehicles.

The Race to Zero Ranking 2022* from best to worst is as follows:

1. Polestar
2. Tesla
3. Volvo
4. Ford
5. Volkswagen
6. Mazda
7. Hyundai
8. Kia
9. Honda
10. Nissan and Mitsubishi
11. Toyota
12. Isuzu

_{*These brands were chosen due to their status as Australia’s top-selling car makers.}

Polestar and Tesla are streets ahead as they are already exclusively manufacturing completely electric vehicles, while Volvo, Ford and Volkswagen are leading the pack for traditional auto manufacturers with targets to fully electrify their fleets (to all battery electric vehicles [BEVs]) between 2030 and 2040. At the bottom of the list are Toyota and Isuzu, who have yet to make any commitments to take their fleets all-electric.

In order to boost the uptake of EVs in Australia, the Climate Council is calling on the federal government to set fuel efficiency standards that could result in 100% of new vehicles sold in Australia being zero emissions as soon as possible.

Fuel efficiency standards are designed to limit how much pollution a new model vehicle can release, with fines for those manufacturers who don’t comply. The standards can therefore provide incentives for car makers to supply low- and zero-emissions vehicles to our country.

Fuel efficiency standards have already been adopted in around 80% of the global car market, but Australia has yet to make much progress on their implementation. However, in international markets where fuel efficiency standards have already been put in place, research has shown that the supply of EVs has increased while their price has been driven down.

Dr Jennifer Rayner, the Climate Council’s Head of Advocacy, said: “Many major manufacturers know that all-electric is the way to go. Implementing strong fuel efficiency standards would ensure 100% of new vehicles sold be zero emissions by the middle of next decade.”

Climate Councillor and former President of BP Australasia Greg Bourne said: “The vehicle industry must do its bit towards Australia’s new target of cutting emissions by at least 43% by 2030. If we are to make EVs affordable and accessible to Australians then all major manufacturers need to step up their game on delivering cleaner fleets to our local market. The uptake of electric vehicles is gaining momentum and these manufacturers can become strong contenders in the race to zero.”

Image caption: iStock.com/SimonSkafar

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/news/race-to-zero-vehicle-brands-progress-to-no-emissions-1186618575

Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek, MP, has placed the mattress industry on the Minister’s Priority List. The list identifies products and materials considered most in need of a product stewardship program to reduce their environmental impacts.

The Australian Bedding Stewardship Council (ABSC) was established in 2020 in recognition of this need. Its members acknowledge the environmental and sustainability issues posed by end-of-life mattresses and are committed to a whole-of-industry approach to solve the problem. It has been charged by its members with responsibility for establishing and administering a product stewardship scheme for bedding products, including mattresses. Inclusion on the Priority List validates the efforts of current members who have been working towards product stewardship for some time. It also provides encouragement for non-participants to join the ABSC and participate in the scheme.

The ABSC recently received conditional authorisation from the ACCC to apply a fee to mattresses to fund the scheme’s objectives for the next 5 years. It is working towards expanding the recycling network as widely as possible to improve access to responsible mattress disposal, but it acknowledges there is much more to do. Chief Executive Officer Vernon Fair said the mattress industry’s inclusion on the Minister’s Priority List is the call to action for the sector to pull together as one.

“A piecemeal approach to this issue is not going to deliver the sort of sustainable change that government and the community is expecting,” Fair said. “There are a variety of recycling schemes and programs in operation through individual sellers and manufacturers, but we believe a whole-of-industry approach, with everyone pulling in the same direction, a transparent sharing of innovative ideas and the pooling of resources to invest in research and development is the best way to solve these issues. Industry can really have a significant impact and role in ensuring the products that we provide to our customers do not come at the cost of adverse environmental impacts and impost on local councils.”

About 1.8 million mattresses are discarded in Australia each year and an estimated 100,000 of these mattresses are illegally dumped, posing both an environmental and ratepayer burden. The ABSC estimates 41% of old mattresses end up in landfill. Although 59% are collected for recycling, up to 64% of the overall weight of those collected mattresses still goes to landfill because the recovered material is either impossible to recycle or of no value to recyclers.

According to Fair, ABSC will focus on the recoverability and value of materials, with investment into research and development. It is not just determined to make mattress recycling more accessible to consumers, it’s also committed to funding research and development to find new uses for recovered materials. Creating value for these materials will make mattress recycling more commercially viable and provide more incentive for new facilities, particularly in non-metropolitan areas, to enter the recycling industry.

Fair said, “There are several industries including paint and batteries that come to mind who have led the way in stewardship with a focus on R&D. So, we know that with a whole-of-industry approach, we can have a significant impact.

“Commercial innovations with economies of scale will help us make the biggest impact in fixing this problem,” Fair said. “Providing meaningful ongoing funding for this kind of research is going to require the support of the entire industry and their willingness to make more sustainable choices in product design and material selection. In the meantime, adding mattresses to the Minister’s Priority List is an important step and we welcome it.”

Since inception in 2020, ABSC membership has increased from 21 companies to 32.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/mattress-industry-placed-on-minister-s-priority-list-731378121

The Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) has welcomed the Queensland Government’s review of the Containers for Change program, aimed at expanding eligible containers to include glass wine and spirit bottles.

“The Queensland Containers for Change program has significantly ramped up the volume of quality material collected for recycling, supporting investment in onshore processing and boosting our local circular economy for beverage containers,” said Suzanne Toumbourou, ACOR CEO.

As a body for resource recovery, recycling and remanufacturing in Australia, ACOR is supportive of programs that help to recover more materials from waste and litter streams, creating pathways for good environmental outcomes and jobs while supporting industry confidence.

“The proposed expansion of Containers for Change to include glass wine and spirit bottles will further improve resource recovery rates, increase access to recyclable materials and create more opportunities for individuals and community groups to be rewarded for their recycling efforts,” Toumbourou said.

“We commend the Queensland Government for actively consulting with the community, asking what they want to see included in the Containers for Change program. As the home to some of our most iconic beaches and rainforests, this expansion will mean fewer bottles winding up in their waterways and in landfill,” Toumbourou said.

“It is great to see a growing number of states across Australia gearing up to expand their existing and planned container deposit schemes in a harmonised approach, which will reduce costs for industry and drive greater circular economy outcomes,” Toumbourou said.

Prior to the introduction of the program, 18% of beverage containers were recovered and recycled in Queensland. In 2022, this rate has risen to 65%.

Image credit: iStock.com/kali9

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/queensland-containers-for-change-program-to-expand-1168016687