EXAIR manufactures industrial duty vacuums for chip removal, liquid transfer and cleaning. All systems use compressed air powered vacuum generators that have no moving parts, no impellers to clog and no motors to wear out, assuring maintenance-free operation. Some of the vacuum systems available in the range are shown below.

EasySwitch Wet-Dry Vac is an all-purpose vacuum with the capability of handling any job — dry or wet. Switching between vacuuming liquids or solids is as easy as removing the pleated filter when vacuuming liquids and reinstalling directly into the open filter hatch when working with dry material. It is available in 205 L capacity with either standard or HEPA filtration.

Chip Vac picks up dry or wet chips and delivers them directly to an ordinary drum. It is used to clean chips from fixtures, machines, parts and work surfaces. The lid can be moved easily from drum to drum to keep materials separate for recycling. It is available in 5 gal and 205 L capacities.

Heavy Duty Dry Vac turns an ordinary drum into a powerful, industrial duty vacuum cleaner. It vacuums more dry materials in less time than ordinary vacs. It is suitable for vacuuming abrasives like steel shot, garnet, metal chips and sand. It is available in 205 L capacity with either standard or HEPA filtration.

Reversible Drum Vac is a two-way liquid vacuum that can fill or empty a 205 L drum in 90 s. It is suitable for spill recovery and filling or emptying coolant sumps. It is available in 5 gal and 205 L capacities. The High Lift Reversible Drum Vac provides the high lift power needed to fill or empty below grade (up to 4.6 m) coolant sumps, pits and cisterns.

All EXAIR industrial vacuum systems are CE certified and comply with OSHA’s Safety Requirements for dead-end pressure and noise limitation.

For more information: https://www.caasafety.com.au/products/easyswitch-wet-dry-vac/.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/waste/hot-product/exair-industrial-vacuum-systems-689462143

Craig Mostyn Group is one of Australia’s leading diversified food and agribusiness companies. Established in 1923, the company is now claimed as Western Australia’s largest vertically integrated pork, lamb and beef business. It also has seafood operations, which include three abalone farms and multiple sites across Tasmania. Its protein rendering unit, Talloman, is a core division of the Craig Mostyn Group, and when it started to have issues with a wastewater treatment pond, plant manager Carlos Mendes went looking for a solution.

The EchoStorm venturi aerator from Gorman-Rupp was recommended to him and he contacted Hydro Innovations (Australian Gorman-Rupp distributor) for a solution. Mendes wanted a reduction in BOD, COD, NH₃ and also a solution to a troublesome blue-green algae issue.

Adding dissolved oxygen to aerobic bacteria allows organic compounds in wastewater to be broken down quickly, preventing it from becoming septic and odorous. The addition of dissolved oxygen allows these organic compounds to be converted into non-polluting compounds.

The solution

Based on the size of the pond, the inflow rate and water analysis provided, Hydro Innovations recommended a 4″ (100 mm) EchoStorm system. This system comprises a Gorman-Rupp U4B60S-B self-priming centrifugal pump with 15 kW motor, ‘powering’ a Gorman-Rupp V4A EchoStorm venturi aerator.

The EchoStorm is a static venturi aeration device that is installed on the discharge side of a Gorman-Rupp self-priming centrifugal pump to introduce dissolved oxygen into the liquid being pumped. With no moving parts, the EchoStorm will only require routine maintenance of the Gorman-Rupp pump. The simplicity of the system makes it easy to install, operate and maintain.

The U4A60S-B 4″ self-priming effluent pump is highly efficient because of its multi-vane impeller and ‘straight-in’ suction design, making it a good choice for keeping power consumption of the system low. It is also capable of passing a 20.6 mm solid and operating on suction lifts up to 6.1 m.

The pump draws in water from the lagoon, then pumps it at pressure through the EchoStorm unit, which draws in atmospheric air, mixes it with the water and delivers it back to the lagoon. The unit not only ‘saturates’ the water with dissolved oxygen, but it also ‘conditions’ the flow, breaking down organic matter into smaller particles, allowing for enhanced organics reduction. This conditioning effect also ruptures the buoyancy vacuoles within the blue-green algae, causing it to sink, depriving it of the sunlight required for growth and stripping CO₂ from the water, depriving it of carbon dioxide.

Mendes and the Talloman evaluation team liked the idea of the equipment being mounted on the bank of the pond, rather than floating in the middle of it, and could see the ongoing benefits of easier access and the maintenance advantages of the system. As a safety-first company, the team also saw the system as being much safer for operators than other systems they had seen.

But as the technology is relatively new to wastewater treatment in Australia, Mendes was cautious in his evaluation about the results the system could achieve moving forward. Hydro Innovations, however, was very confident of the success of the system (unit) and not only offered a five-year warranty on the pump (which is standard), but also a money back guarantee if the unit failed to deliver the promised results. Mendes was happy with this arrangement and proceeded with the purchase.

The results

The Talloman crew did an excellent job setting the unit up exactly to specifications, and wanted to be sure their investment in the future was a good one. To this end, Mendes had his crew track the progress of the EchoStorm by measuring the total of all taxa from ‘Day 1’. When the unit was installed in March, total taxa measured 217,000. Mendes called off the measuring when the last reading was taken in May, where the measure was down to 6630 (a reduction of 97%). Needless to say, Mendes and the Talloman team are happy with the results.

They have also been pleased at how easy the unit is to access for monitoring and maintaining.

The EchoStorm aerator units are available in sizes from 2″ (50 mm) through to 6″ (150 mm), but multiple units can be used to cater for larger requirements.

When the application calls for even higher levels of oxygen, much larger (and even more efficient) pumps can be utilised, each providing flow to two, three, four or even five EchoStorm venturi aerators. The efficiency of these pumps drives up the standard oxygen transfer efficiency (SOTE) even further. The use of multiple EchoStorm units also enhances mixing and virtually eliminates dead spots that are often left by competing technologies.

EchoStorm units are versatile because they can draw water from any level in the water source and from any part, and can discharge it at any level and any part. This gives the asset owner numerous options for mixing or creating different treatment zones.

Venturi aerators are not used just for treating food process wastewater, but also for treating municipal wastewater and mine water, and also for lake destratification.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/wastewater/case-study/blue-green-algae-issue-solved-for-protein-rendering-unit-964857319

The purification of various water resources, from rainwater to wastewater, is a high-energy process. So, what if electricity could actually be generated during the process? A research team has developed a multifunctional membrane that can simultaneously generate electricity while purifying wastewater into drinking water.

Scientists from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology’s (KIST) Electronic Materials Research Centre and Myongji University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering have partnered to develop an advanced membrane that can simultaneously provide drinking water and generate continuous electricity from various water resources, such as sewerage/wastewater, seawater and groundwater.

The “sandwich-like” membrane comprises a porous membrane that filters water at the bottom and a conductive polymer that generates electricity at the top. It is designed to purify wastewater by controlling the direction of the water flow. Water flowing perpendicularly to the membrane generates direct current by the movement of ions along the horizontal direction. The membrane can reject more than 95% of the contaminants of sizes less than 10 nm (one hundred-millionth of a metre). Hence, microplastics and heavy metal particles in wastewater can be removed, and continuous electricity can be generated for more than 3 h with only 10 µl (microlitres) of water.

The membrane has a high potential to be commercialised as it can be manufactured using a simple printing process without size restrictions. The research team is currently conducting follow-up research to generate electricity while improving the water quality of wastewater to the level of drinking water by developing the membrane for an actual factory.

“As a novel technology that can solve water shortage problem and produce ecofriendly energy simultaneously, it also has great potential applications in the water quality management system and emergency power system,” said Dr. Ji-Soo Jang from KIST.

Image credit: iStock.com/ddggg

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/wastewater/case-study/generating-electricity-from-wastewater-241301959

A year of change

2022 was a year of massive change. At last we are in an era of hope and optimism for renewable energy and positive climate policy. 2023 is the year we do the heavy lifting to implement at every scale. To make up for a lost decade of inaction and delay, we must do much more to achieve a lower carbon footprint through low-emissions vehicles, smart choices in energy-efficient appliances, the electrification of homes and workplaces, and programs to support solar, wind and storage technologies. Governments (state, territory and federal) are finally working together to plan and implement the zero-carbon energy future Australia deserves, through coordinated smart energy policies, planned and funded renewable energy build-outs, and a vision for a zero carbon energy export industry.

We are absolutely committed to this wonderful industry, and the Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition will once again provide our community with a chance to connect, learn and share information (as well as see the latest products) over a fantastic two-day event.

Smart Energy 2023

Australia’s premier solar, storage and smart energy event is back in early May 2023 bigger and better than ever. The Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition welcomes everyone with a stake in the renewable energy industry to join in these free two-day events happening on 3 and 4 May at the ICC, Sydney.

The Smart Energy Council believes sharing knowledge is key to our successful transition to a greener, cleaner future. Smart Energy 2023 will proudly present a top line-up of expert speakers: industrial and technical specialists, project developers, financiers and key policymakers, market analysts and advisors, across three conference streams. CPD points will also be available.

The event will provide many opportunities for networking — mix with new and old colleagues during and after conference sessions in a convivial setting.

Register today and share with your networks

We invite you to be a part of powering progress in the smart energy sector, and we believe that only if we all work together, Australia will succeed in transitioning into a renewable energy superpower. For more information and to register head over to smartenergyexpo.org.au.

Event information at a glance:

Smart Energy Council Conference & Exhibition 2023

3–4 May 2023

ICC, Sydney

Website: smartenergyexpo.org.au

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/article/bringing-the-renewables-industry-together-to-build-a-brighter-future-at-smart-energy-2023-895247965

Sydney Water has announced that its $4.3 million Leura Water Pumping Station (WPS) servicing the Blue Mountains is weeks away from completion.

The facility will help mitigate the risk of customers losing supply during low rainfall events and drought conditions. When operating at full capacity, the station will transfer the equivalent of 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water to the Blue Mountains region every week, servicing up to 60,000 people.

Construction of the facility began in late 2021 with final preparations taking place.

Trevor Mondon, Sydney Water Principal Project Manager, said the plant is an important piece of infrastructure for the region and part of an overall Strategic Drought Planning action. Network upgrades will increase and improve reliability of supply within the Cascade Water Delivery System (WDS).

Ben Samcou, Sydney Water Senior Project Manager, said the facility will be game changing for the Blue Mountains community when it comes to accessing reliable water supply, especially during drought conditions or bushfires.

“When in operation, the Leura WPS allows potable water to be transferred from lower parts of the Cascade WDS up to Katoomba Reservoir, which is currently only fed from Cascades Water Treatment Plant,” Samcou said.

The Leura Water Pumping Station is due to be operational by July 2023.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/news/sydney-water-s-game-changing-facility-almost-complete-111952531

The Greens have welcomed the ACCC’s announcement to investigate businesses that are greenwashing, but have called for the government and regulators to go further in the enforcement of false environmental claims.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, spokesperson for the Greens, commended ACCC and ASIC but called for even further action, saying it should be illegal to lie about the green credentials of products and services.

According to Hanson-Young, “The fashion industry has been flagged as one with the highest proportion of concerning claims. Considering it is the second most polluting industry globally, responsible for up to 10% of annual carbon emissions, a crackdown on green claims is urgent.”

The Albanese government signed an international commitment to ensure businesses transparently disclose environmental credentials and consumers are provided with accurate information. Hanson-Young said the government must act to implement rules holding businesses accountable in this area, as greenwashing is “ripping off” and “misleading” Australians.

“I urge the industries subject to this review, along with the advertising industry, to work closely with the regulators to ensure Australian consumers can truly know what they are signing up for when they choose a product or service,” she said.

Image credit: iStock.com/Tanaonte

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/government-encouraged-to-crack-down-on-greenwashing-1069951930

Sustainability Victoria has called on businesses, industry groups, research institutions and charities interested in supporting the circular economy to apply for $4.8 million in funding through the Victorian Government’s Circular Economy Business Support Fund and the Circular Economy Innovation Fund.

The funding is available to Victorian organisations looking to explore opportunities to design out waste and extend the useful life of products.

The funds have assisted 36 projects so far, with grants of over $7.1 million. These projects include a zero-waste hub for olive growers, a circular economy action plan for Australia’s clothing, a sustainable business model for retired electric vehicle batteries and the transformation of surplus vegetables into healthy snacks.

Matt Genever, Sustainability Victoria interim CEO, said these grants are fostering business innovation, commercialisation and collaboration across supply chains to prevent waste, increase reuse and repair and generate new streams of revenue for businesses.

According to Genever, the funding will work towards innovation and commercialisation of circular solutions that will create jobs and improve Victoria’s economic and environmental outcomes.

Recipients of the funding will have access to Sustainability Victoria’s Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC), which offers the chance to engage with past grantees and attend networking events, as well as opportunities to collaborate and connect with CEBIC stakeholders and promote the project and organisation.

Genever said lessons learned from the funded projects will be shared with Victorian businesses to inspire market creation and build a thriving circular economy.

“We encourage business to explore the many opportunities and benefits the circular economy has to offer,” he said.

The funds are part of the Victorian Government’s $380 million Circular Economy plan, Recycling Victoria: a new economy. Targets of this plan include reducing total waste generation by 15% per capita by 2030.

For more information about how to apply for the grants, visit here.

Image credit: iStock.com/AzmanJaka

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/-4-8m-to-help-victorian-businesses-design-out-waste-62302078

The UN Global Compact Network Australia (UNGCNA), the Australian local network of the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, has named new appointees from Australia Post and from real estate and supply chain sustainability, alongside an expert in marketing and diversity, to lead actions towards a more sustainable future.

Non-executive board appointments are:

• Susan Mizrahi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Australia Post and Chair Australian Retailers Association Sustainability Advisory Group.
• Sunita Gloster, Non-Executive Director Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Marketing Advisor at Gloster Advisory, Senior Advisor Accenture & UN Women Australia and Co-Chair Tech Council of Australia Marketing Committee, ABC TV Gruen panellist.
• Robin Mellon, leading expert on sustainable supply chains and CEO, Better Sydney, Project Manager for the Property Council of Australia’s Modern Slavery Working Group and Supplier Platform.
   

The UNGCNA helps businesses and stakeholders to create a sustainable future by supporting them in acting responsibly and helping them find opportunities to drive positive outcomes. The appointments come at a time when Australian businesses and organisations face significant and transformational challenges including mandatory reporting, risks of modern slavery in supply chains and increased scrutiny on communications and claims.

The new board appointments follow the recent announcement of Fiona Reynolds as UNGCNA Chair in November 2022.

Reynolds said now is the time for corporate Australia to accelerate through cooperation, collective action and shared learning. “The UNGCNA brings together some of Australia’s strongest expertise in ESG, and with this, we are in the best position to facilitate collaboration and help accelerate corporate Australia towards a more sustainable future,” she said.

A special initiative of the United Nations (UN) secretary-general, the UNGCNA calls responsible businesses to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. The network aims to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through companies and ecosystems that enable change.

Image credit: iStock.com/ThitareeSarmkasat

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/un-global-compact-network-names-australian-board-72344671

A Penrith suburban road has become what is claimed to be the first in Australia to include recycled coffee cups in its construction. The fibres in the cups help create a more durable product that is claimed to be quieter and safer than regular asphalt.

Known as PAK-PAVE Roads, the sustainable asphalt has been developed by State Asphalts NSW in conjunction with Closed Loop Environmental Solutions, which operates the Simply Cups paper cup recycling program. The Commonwealth’s Cooperative Research Centres Program Grant has facilitated the development of the product, involving the University of New South Wales and sanctioned by the NSW EPA and Transport NSW.

The pilot project will take place along a section of Jamison Road at South Penrith, to be followed by a second at Swallow Drive, Erskine Park. The projects will use over 135,000 recycled paper cups, including coffee cups which make up 85% of the paper cups collected for recycling in the Penrith LGA in 2022.

The roads will use other recycled materials including the equivalent of 1.2 million glass stubbies, together with reclaimed asphalt pavement and steel furnace slag. These materials will comprise more than 50% of PAK-PAVE.

Benefits of the roads include:

• Using recycled paper cups as a beneficial additive.
• Improved pavement durability and crack resistance.
• Improved wet weather skid resistance and reduced noise levels from surface texture.
• Improved durability of Stone Mastic Asphalt allows thinner surfacing of roads, where thickness and the cost per m² of pavement can be reduced.
• Fewer raw materials are required.
• 24% reduction in carbon footprint.
   

John Kypreos, Director of State Asphalts NSW, said the team has been working over three years to develop PAK-PAVE Roads, supported by the government at all levels.

“It is exciting to be delivering a practical circular economy solution in partnership with Closed Loop, and we hope that other councils and state governments will start specifying PAK-PAVE Roads, both as a high-quality road surface and a product that uses a high percentage of recycled materials,” Kypreos said.

Tricia Hitchen, Penrith Mayor, said the council is proud to be leading the way in the move towards a more sustainable circular economy.

“With over 1208 km of roads maintained by Penrith City Council and countless kilometres of state roads in our LGA, we have the opportunity to make our roads far more environmentally friendly than first thought through the use of recycled materials,” Hitchens said.

Rob Pascoe, Closed Loop MD, said, “The Simply Cups program has saved more than 30 million paper cups such as coffee cups and takeaway soft drink cups from landfill since beginning in 2017.”

There are currently more than 630 7-Eleven stores that have cup collection units as well as collection locations in numerous shopping centres, office buildings, schools and universities. Locations can be found on the Simply Cups website or on the RecycleMate app.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/case-study/this-morning-s-coffee-cup-could-become-tomorrow-s-road-667908574

RatedPower, now a part of Enverus, has released its annual findings derived from nearly 100 diverse industry experts from across the world and more than 101,000 simulations of its software. According to the results, the focus for 2023 will be on accelerating the adoption of renewable energy power generation, reducing the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE), fuel diversification and energy storage investment.

“In the year ahead, we expect the green transition to provide a massive boost to investments in solar photovoltaics (PV) — for residential, commercial and industrial, and for utility-scale installations. The industry is increasingly looking at ways to incorporate battery storage and clean, green hydrogen into renewable installations to maximise supply,” said Andrea Barber, Vice President of Power & Renewables at Enverus and Co-founder of RatedPower, upon release of the report.

Key trends revealed in the report:

1. Instability and grid saturation cause concern

Grid saturation and instability has joined permitting and regulation as the biggest challenge the renewable industry is facing in the coming year, with both issues cited by 68% of respondents. The increase in costs is widely mentioned amongst the respondents as a major challenge. More than 40% of survey respondents have also cited the increasing lack of skilled personnel, land availability and raw materials.

2. Energy storage gaining more attention

When asked about technologies with the highest potential, experts still mention energy storage as a trendy topic, but agree that the future might be in newer PV technologies that contribute to the deployment of renewable capacity at the scale needed for global decarbonisation. Agriphotovoltaics, floating PV, vehicle-integrated PV and building-integrated PV are promoted as routes to expanding solar capacity.

3. US and China on top but Australia still up there

For the first time, the US has overtaken China as the country with the highest growth potential, with 60% of responses placing USA at the top, followed by China with 46%. India and Australia also made the list with their ambitious renewable plans.

4. Diversification is key

Diversification of renewable energy is one of the top three key success factors of a leading energy company, according to 68.5% of respondents. Almost all industry professionals believe that automation, digitalisation of the processes and energy storage need to be the focus of investors to help with the grid saturation and instability challenges.

5. Other data

The data shows an increase in the popularity of string inverters over central inverters for the past two years. The simulations based with these inverters are 53% and 47% respectively.

Although solar tracking systems accounted for more than half of the simulations, there seems to be a growing trend towards the use of fixed structures, which increased by 3%.

Bifacial modules simulations kept growing last year, reaching a total of 71.87% of simulations, up from 57% in 2021.

Image credit: iStock.com/Pixelci

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/article/renewable-energy-trends-for-2023-1094999391