Australians have not escaped the personal and financial aftermath of these events. The Millennium Drought in south-eastern Australia stretched from 1997 until 2009 and saw the area’s lowest annual rainfall since the beginning of the 20th century. The Murray–Darling Basin and much of the agricultural land in the southern states were decimated.

Earlier this year, regions in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland were battered by storms and flooding. By early August 2022, insurance claims for flood damage in these areas topped $4.8 billion according to the National Insurance Brokers Association.

The floods are now Australia’s second-costliest natural disaster — only the Eastern Sydney hailstorm of 1999 has cost more.

A time to act

The recent Aquanomics report by GHD clearly underscores the urgent need to take robust action to build water resilience and mitigate the frequency and potentially catastrophic impacts of these climate events.

Aquanomics research shows that between now and 2050, future droughts, floods and storms could result in a total loss of AU$452 billion to Australia’s GDP. Added to this are the hard-to-measure social and psychological impacts on those caught up in these events.

“Within Australia, a perfect storm of conditions is creating very real pressures on our water system and communities,” said GHD’s Lindsey Brown, Australian Market Leader — Water.

“Due to climate change, we are seeing flood and drought cycles at a much higher rate of occurrence than before. We have a growing population, which means more impervious area; we have more people with more water needs to be met; and there is a more sophisticated understanding from communities about what they expect from their water systems.”

An environmental, social and economic lens

Key to addressing this perfect storm is improving Australia’s water infrastructure and exploring how Australia can better manage its water resources while maximising environmental, social and economic benefits.

“Australia’s water infrastructure is built for yesterday’s climate. It is built for a climate that we’re continually moving further and further away from,” Brown said.

She explains that an integrated circular water system with a more adaptive and collaborative approach to water management is the way forward.

“Because of the extreme events we are now witnessing, we need to be bolder and consider more extreme solutions and options that we haven’t put on the table before,” Brown said.

“It’s time to move beyond the traditional large-scale engineered interventions. While these will continue to play a role, we need to reframe our thinking and embrace a long-term, strategic view of resource management. We are already on that journey, but we need to lean further into developing interconnected and holistic systems. This requires a change in mindset, so water is seen as a valuable asset, not a commodity.”

The trifecta

GHD’s Aquanomics report outlines three key principles to start conversations about doing things differently and growing momentum to build and maintain Australia’s water resilience.

Adapt:

This involves adapting to current and emerging climate trends, rather than repeating yesterday’s infrastructure. And considering ways to conceive, design and build water infrastructure that is cognisant of future extreme events.

“This may mean making more short-term investments with 10- or 20-year horizons instead of spending big on infrastructure that will last for 60 or 80 years. In other words, in some cases it may be appropriate to spend less money upfront on more staged approaches that leave more options,” Brown said.

Adaptation could also include building moveable infrastructure that delivers a more decentralised approach to water management.

“These are things the water industry already does in some areas, but we need to scale up and make it business as usual, rather than the exception,” Brown said.

Optimise:

Improving the efficiency and responsiveness of water systems has the potential to be a game changer in boosting resilience, and in many cases makes economic sense.

“We don’t have a blank cheque to build the water infrastructure of the future. We work in an existing paradigm and have to get the most from what we have,” Brown said.

Emerging technologies like automation, AI and machine learning have a key role to play in enhancing the efficiency of existing water infrastructure. For example, smart devices and sensors allow utilities to monitor assets in real time, enabling more effective maintenance and managing capacity when floods occur.

The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) scheme is one example of an optimisation success story. One of the most diverse and productive regions in Australia, around half the 378,911 hectares in the MIA are irrigated and the area is home to more than 50,000 people with most jobs tied to the water system through farms and industry.

Since 2013, extensive modernisation works have replaced and automated ageing water delivery infrastructure, saving hundreds of gigalitres of water and increasing food security.

Australia is also looking at wastewater treatment plants nationally to assess the potential for water to be reused for agricultural purposes or for generating hydrogen for energy.

Prioritise:

The water industry is naturally a circular industry and has been operating in partial circularity for decades, through end-of-line, biosolid and waste-to-energy solutions.

New thinking is opening opportunities to prioritise circular principles throughout the lifecycle of operations and beyond, connecting the water industry to the broader economy to unlock more sustainable outcomes.

“We need to prioritise solutions that are regenerative and circular, that are deeply connected to place and that have more scope for community benefit,” Brown said.

This is illustrated in the billion-dollar wastewater treatment system in Upper South Creek in Sydney. The Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre will be able to treat up to 70 megalitres of wastewater each day and will produce treated water suitable for recycling and environmental flows, renewable energy and reusable biosolids. It will also incorporate infrastructure to help environmental water and wet weather flows.

Similarly, Barwon Water has joined local councils in Victoria to transform 40,000 tonnes of organic waste into 8000 tonnes of high-value soil enhancers, including biochar, for local agriculture. Biochar helps soil retain moisture, making it more climate-resilient. The waste processing also generates renewable electricity to power around 500 homes.

Voices at the table

Shaping and delivering greater water resilience is a multifaceted puzzle and it requires ideas, insights and innovations from multiple stakeholders. Government and water institutions need to work alongside communities and Australia’s traditional landowners.

“Community has a huge role to play — after all, they are going to bear the costs and live with the risks. The good news is communities today have a more powerful voice and are much more informed and engaged,” Brown said.

“As part of this, traditional owners are also critical to discussions — their knowledge, voice and influence over the process is very important.”

The endgame

So, what does Brown see as the ultimate goal of water resilience?

“For me it’s about reaching a state where there’s enough water for everything we need and it is produced in a sustainable way — we have enough for drinking, recreational use, the environment and for cultural uses. And we also have water for decarbonising the economy,” she said.

“Most importantly, we need to achieve this in a way that doesn’t overburden our environment, that’s affordable and that makes the best possible use of everything we have.”

Brown adds that focusing on water resilience isn’t optional.

“We know with reasonable certainty that climate impacts are getting worse, becoming more extreme and happening more often. The sooner we can be ready and adapt, the sooner we can protect ourselves,” she said.

“Our Aquanomics report is designed to spark this important conversation and provides a robust point of comparison. The changes we need to make will cost money — but not changing will cost much, much more.”

GHD’s Lindsey Brown, Australian Market Leader — Water.

Read more at aquanomics.ghd.com.

Top image credit: iStock.com/petesphotography

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/article/on-the-road-to-greater-water-resilience-336532112

Our use of plastic is increasing, and across the world it is predicted to double by 2040. The current rate of plastic recycling in Australia is approximately 13%, with more than 85% ending up in landfill and generating plastic waste.

Addressing the plastic packaging issue, the federal government introduced the 2021 National Plastic Plan, understanding that the entire plastic life cycle needs an overhaul, and plastic packaging needs to be designed to be reused, recycled, and recovered.

Part of the plan is the 2025 national packaging targets, where all packaging needs to be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable. This means it’s a critical time for organisations to start thinking now about their packaging and plastic needs, to start planning and switching to alternatives that will meet government targets.

Some of these targets will require significant changes within industry or require substantial new infrastructure to be built to collect and reprocess the used plastic. Some of the targets are small steps only, as their challenges are very complicated. For example, the recycling rate of soft plastic to go from unknown to 10%. All these factors mean that there is going to be a lot of plastic waste for many years into the future.

Buyer beware — what does the “green” label mean?

The labelling of “biodegradable” plastic products is often green-washing and open to marketing manipulation. Many products labelled as “compostable’, “degradable” or “oxo-degradable” offer no more environmental benefits than a regular plastic bag, in fact, they could be more harmful to the environment, for example, a “degradable” plastic fragments into little pieces.

How Biogone’s innovative technology is different

Melbourne-based business, Biogone, is leading plastic technology in Australia with an organic additive to help plastic biodegrade at an accelerated rate when it’s disposed to a modern landfill. Co-founders John Mancarella and Ross Headifen believe if single-use plastics must be used, then they should be made to be recyclable in line with the 2025 national packaging targets, plus biodegrade where they will be disposed of — which could be in a landfill if they are not recycled.

The difference between Biogone plastic and conventional plastic is when the plastic is disposed to landfill. The Biogone organic additive is a special food source for microbes and is mixed with the raw plastic material at product formation time. The naturally occurring microbes in landfill seek out the food and start to digest it. The enzymes the microbes secrete in that process, breaking the surface polymer chains down so the microbes can then digest them too.

Biogone plastic biodegrades at approximately 90% faster than conventional plastic, breaking down to a humus like sludge (an excellent soil conditioner).  No air or sunlight is required, so the biodegradation can occur in landfill. A conventional plastic takes hundreds of years to break down, while slowly releasing the biogas to the atmosphere. The accelerated biodegradation rate of Biogone plastic means the methane gas is released over a much shorter time.

Biogone plastic is recyclable with other soft plastics and retains all its original mechanical properties, such as strength, colour, impermeability, shelf life and recyclability and does not fragment to microplastics.

How can Biogone help my business become more responsible?

Biogone offers a wide range of cost-effective landfill-biodegradable everyday plastic products, helping businesses make the switch to more eco-friendly plastic alternatives.

Biogone believes they have the best solution until we advance the plastic recycling industry and move towards a more complete circular economy.

Explore the Biogone product range at biogone.com.au so your business can work towards meeting and even exceeding the 2025 National Packaging Targets.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/waste/sponsored/switch-to-eco-conscious-plastic-alternatives-for-the-2025-national-packaging-targets-234429048

The Micro Motion High-Pressure Coriolis flow meters are specifically designed to meet the challenges of ultra-high-pressure environments. The unique meter design provides users with a solution that can withstand extreme pressure thresholds in applications where flow measurement is critical.

Designed for heightened accuracy, the meters can handle the changes in pressure within the dispenser without affecting the measurement. Additionally, the meter has been independently analysed for fatigue to ensure it will handle the cycling pressure and temperature to withstand the whole life of the dispenser.

Benefits include: deliver repeatable process data over a wide range of flow rates and process conditions; provide direct inline measurement of mass flow and temperature — all from a single device; have no moving parts, so maintenance costs are minimal; have no requirements for flow conditioning or straight pipe runs, so installation is simplified and less expensive; and provide advanced diagnostic tools for both the meter and the process.

For more information, click here.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/hot-product/micro-motion-high-pressure-coriolis-flow-meters-1132137617

Sustainability is a key driver of economic policy, and while the word is often used casually in conversation, it involves numerous stakeholders all interacting and influencing each other and policy. There is a need for specialists across business, government and the community in the field of environmental management to help navigate these relationships and protect our fragile environment, with strong job growth forecasted over the next decade.

At the University of Newcastle, the Master of Environmental Management and Sustainability aims to develop these specialists. The program is one of few nationally that incorporates sustainability theory and practice in environmental management tuition.

“The program has a very good reputation with alumni and current students, scoring highly on student satisfaction of teaching,” said program convenor Geoff MacFarlane.

“It is also accredited by the United Nations in teaching sustainable development goals in the curriculum.”

The core and directed courses are certified by both the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Newcastle’s International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders (CIFAL), the only CIFAL centre in Australia and the Asia–Pacific region. These courses ensure graduates have been taught best practice skills that can be immediately applied to their career.

“The career destinations of graduates are diverse, with many entering government roles at the local, state and federal level in sustainability and environmental management,” MacFarlane said.

For alumna Poppy, a desire to pivot her career led her to the Master’s degree where she was able to jump straight into her dream job — securing a role as Environment and Sustainability Manager at Transport for NSW on the Sydney Light Rail project halfway through her studies.

“My role combines environmental management — something I have lots of experience in — with sustainability. This role is the ideal launch into the sustainability field and fulfils my need to see tangible community benefits come to life through the urban renewal aspects of the project,” Poppy said.

Students can tailor their learning with the option to study two of three specialty areas: business management, natural resource management and spatial science. Suitable for people from a range of backgrounds and experience, the degree caters for both suitably qualified graduates from related fields and mid-career professionals wishing to gain postgraduate qualifications in the field. There are study pathways from 80 units to 160 units depending on your level of experience. Students can study at a time that suits with the program offered 100% online with multiple intakes per year.

For recent graduate Mitchell, he highlighted multiple key benefits of the degree.

“[They] include meeting industry professionals and lecturers, learning how to apply my theoretical knowledge to solve real-world problems, gaining access to a world-class library to study and meeting a range of people with different backgrounds and professions that helped shape my own professional journey,” Mitchell said.

The structure of the degree also helped Mitchell excel with online study.

“It allowed me to work full-time and study full-time and achieve great marks throughout my degree due to the flexibility of the program and the fact I could study anywhere.”

Current student Tambalyn echoes Mitchell’s sentiments about online study.

“For someone who works full-time and often remotely, it was perfect,” Tambalyn said.

“Much of the course material has been relevant to my current career and has helped my overall career progression.”

There is also a shorter Graduate Certificate in Environmental Management and Sustainability, a 40-unit 100% online program that provides core knowledge and is designed to provide credit into the Master’s program, completing two degrees in less time.

2023 applications are now open.

Visit newcastle.edu.au/enviro-sustainability for more information.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/article/preparing-the-next-gen-of-environmental-specialists-774182019

Thanks to an innovative collaboration between Veolia and the Department of Defence, hundreds of kilograms of food and food packaging waste that would otherwise be destined for landfill are instead being recycled.

Defence ration packs contain food wrapped in either plastic or cardboard to ensure freshness to support troops in field training or on deployment. Like the food bought at a supermarket, if the packs do expire before use, they must be disposed of.

Veolia’s chief operating officer for waste, Tony Roderick, explained that until recently, Defence had no viable alternative but to dispose of expired rations in their entirety.

“Unfortunately, recycling the ration packs via traditional recycling streams is not possible due to their mixed materials and the high labour costs associated with separating them into their composite materials,” he said.

“This means expired packs were typically sent to landfill, the least preferable disposal option from both an economic and environmental perspective. The challenge for the team at Veolia became finding a sustainable solution that helped the planet and satisfied Defence’s requirements at the same time.”

Responding to the challenge, Veolia worked with Defence’s logistics arm to centralise the collection of expired ration packs, enabling a secure, economical and sustainable solution while also meeting Defence’s environmental objectives.

A dedicated depackaging unit was used to separate the contents of the ration packs from their packaging, allowing the composite materials to be recovered. Once separated, the packaging was recycled and the organic contents used in agricultural applications or simply composted, with only a small quantity of residual waste sent to landfill.

Roderick said the results of the initial trial were very impressive.

“Over a period of less than 3 months, 604 boxes of expired ration packs were depackaged, equating to almost 7.5 tonnes of potential waste,” he said.

“At the end of the trial, 92.5% of the total volume had been diverted away from landfill, including 2.2 tonnes of food organics. That’s an incredible result not just for Defence and its strategic objectives but also for the environment itself.”

Following the successful trial, Veolia is working with Defence to roll out the solution across almost 400 sites nationally. The process will be led by Defence’s Directorate of Supply Chain Maintenance, Warehousing and Distribution as the key stakeholder.

Roderick said the initial trial’s success saw Veolia receive Defence’s Innovation of the Year award, highlighting what can be achieved when like-minded teams work together to solve challenges.

“This latest collaboration between Veolia and the Department of Defence shows that environmental challenges can be overcome when there’s a common goal to deliver a more sustainable outcome.

“Two heads are almost always better than one,” he concluded.

Image credit: iStock.com/shaunl

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/waste/article/defence-ration-packs-go-green-96983656

Traditionally, the medical waste industry has not been associated with sustainability. Legislative requirements regarding treatment focusing on patient care and health has seen medical waste compliantly treated and disposed of in the safest manner for the community. Specifically, although single-use disposable containers do ensure a safe and pathogen free solution for sharps waste in sterile environments, the treated containers are problematic when disposed of in landfills. Stepping up to the plate, Med-X Healthcare Solutions, a relatively new kid on the medical waste block, has made significant inroads into providing a circular economy solution for the industry, which is about to revolutionise the sharps container market.

In an Australian first, Med-X has developed a 100% recyclable single-use sharps container system, aptly named SharpCYCLE™. The recovery of single-use sharps containers has been pioneered through Med-X’s investment in innovative contactless process technology whereby collected single-use containers are robotically decanted, separated from their contents, granulated and blow moulded into reusable sanitary waste containers. Med-X has partnered with local Australian recyclers and plastic moulding companies to utilise extruded plastic pellets generated by the SharpCYCLE process in the manufacture of other recycled plastic products, creating a true circular economy.

Through the ground-breaking SharpCYCLE recycling system, the clinical waste segment represented by single-use sharps containers will be almost fully recoverable and diverted from landfill. “It is estimated that this recovery system will reduce sharps container landfill volumes by over 28%. This percentage will certainly grow as the market moves to the single-use container system now that there is a sustainable, recycled alternative,” Van Karas General Manager of Med-X described. “Although there are good reasons to use single-use virgin plastic in sterile environments, the issue unfortunately until now has been the disposal methods both of which negatively impact our environment: incineration adding greenhouse emissions and/or landfill, contaminating our ground and water.”

Around three quarters of the total sharps container market in Australia is currently held by the reusable container segment, which until now has been seen as the only alternative to single-use containers. “It’s important to note, that the hygiene and safety benefits of a single-use sharps container cannot be denied as they reduce needle stick injuries and the potential for cross contamination. Furthermore, now that the impact of single-use containers on landfill is being addressed through the SharpCYCLE system, the single-use sharps container market segment is expected to grow even more,” Karas said.

Investment in sustainable technologies such as SharpCYCLE comes as little surprise to those who know that Med-X and sister-company Shred-X are subsidiaries of Freightways Limited, a publicly listed New Zealand company with a strong commitment to carbon reduction and waste transformation. Shred-X was born of the paper recovery industry over 20 years ago, so the company’s roots are firmly planted in sustainability and remain its mission today.

Staying true to its heritage, Med-X continues to ensure ethical disposal and wherever possible divert treated waste from landfill, finding innovative ways to transform waste into new products. From rethinking eco-friendly procedures and landfill diversion opportunities within the industry, Med-X already recycle medical equipment. The treated and shredded product is recovered by local recyclers, leading to a reduction in disposal costs and landfill volumes.

These waste transformation initiatives and the launch of the SharpCYCLE system are aligned to the Company’s Vision and Mission of Preserving Tomorrow, Today for a Sustainable Future.

Med-X Healthcare Solutions — Be Smart, Be Safe, Be Healthy

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/sponsored/leading-environmentally-sustainable-change-in-the-medical-waste-industry-436703053

Companies of today are under increasing pressure to ensure proper Emissions Management in order to achieve Environmental Sustainability Goals. Regulatory compliance, consumer demand and pressure from financial investors are the key drivers in decarbonization and environmental sustainability strategies. For industrial companies, a sustainability strategy is now a matter of long-term survival, encouraging future development and investment in the business. Reducing the carbon footprint and emission levels is the ultimate goal of most sustainability initiatives. To achieve ambitious targets, far-sighted strategies must address operational improvement, greater energy efficiency, low carbon electrification, clean fuels, and emissions management and capture.

Reducing emissions

Manufacturers and processing companies have an opportunity to make significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through the use of renewable energy sources, together with optimized operations that increase efficiency and lower energy consumption. Through enhanced emissions management, fugitive emissions of harmful gases can also be reduced, ensuring compliance with current environmental legislation and regulations.

Emissions typically come from boilers, gas turbines, diesel engines and flaring, but also through continuous process media leakage from pipelines, tanks or devices. The two main categories of emissions are Greenhouse Gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane) and Fugitive Emissions (such as SOx, NOx and dusts).

Regulatory compliance

As environmental regulations across the globe change at a rapid pace, companies need to do more than simply adapt to survive. Not only must they keep up with regulations, they also need to develop a roadmap and seek proactive and predictive methods for reducing emissions to ensure compliance to future commitments. The need to meet or exceed environmental regulations requires expertise and knowledge to understand the next steps to take. National and regional regulations can vary significantly and be very challenging to navigate.

Challenges of reducing emissions

When looking to make improvements, a key challenge is the limited capital expenditure budget available to upgrade operations and fund projects, especially given today’s volatile and uncertain global economy. This creates significant pressure on an organization to select the right strategy or project to ensure the greatest return in terms of reduced emissions. A key consideration is the impact on normal operations and lost income as a result of implementing changes. Another prohibitive factor can be outdated assets and technology that are either root causes of emissions or prevent monitoring and subsequent improvements.

Generally, the first steps in Emissions Management are:

• Detecting and identifying the main sources of emissions
• Developing a plan and investing resources in tackling the most problematic areas
• Evaluating the gap between the organization’s baseline and objectives
• Establishing a roadmap and seeking the right technology partner to align to these goals, identifying possible solutions and evaluating their quantified implementation outcomes
• Documenting and demonstrating compliance with the regulations pertaining to the organization’s industry and region

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

The majority of greenhouse gas emissions from an industrial facility come from boilers. There is a need to focus on optimization of the combustion processes and emissions reporting. Combustion measurement solutions help to optimize combustion control by minimizing fuel and excess air requirements. This can result in greater fuel efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and significant operational savings. When it comes to the oil and gas industry, it is essential to develop a strong flare management plan. Advanced monitoring and analysis technologies help to quickly identify the source of a release, provide a fast BTU measurement to comply with increased monitoring frequency and deliver the information needed to be compliant.

Reducing continuous fugitive emissions

Continuous fugitive emissions result from plant infrastructure, such as isolation, control and relief valves, tanks, flanges and pumps. These leaks, which are due to incorrect sizing, configuration, installation and maintenance, can be very difficult to detect due to ambient conditions and large areas to monitor relatively small quantities, but when aggregated become the greatest contributors to overall emissions. Without regular monitoring or inspection, these leaks can often go undetected over time until they become problematic and possibly even dangerous.

Modern valves are fugitive emissions compliant by design, with high levels of tightness and durability. Correct selection, sizing and lifecycle maintenance contributes to lower emissions. Smart technology, such as intelligent valve positioners and acoustic wireless sensors, enables monitoring and reporting of short duration upsets that can lead to small and/or unnoticed emissions.

How Emerson can help

Emerson has extensive experience supporting decarbonization and environmental sustainability strategies. By working with its consultants, companies can launch an enterprise-wide program to save energy and reduce emissions that meets and exceeds their corporate sustainability commitments. Emerson’s data monitoring and control technology, understanding of current regulations and lifecycle services help in planning and implementing clients’ emissions reduction roadmap. With access to a complete line of automated solutions and resources that help to eliminate the root causes of emissions, clients can implement a customized emissions control program that meets regulations and protects the environment.

Emerson is able to:

• Determine clients’ needs and desired outcomes
• Identify best and most immediate opportunities for investment
• Create a roadmap of potential solutions integrated with their strategic plan to achieve full regulatory compliance
• Develop an over-arching emissions program management plan
• Define measurement strategies and select appropriate technology
• Leverage shutdowns and planned outages to implement emission-reducing solutions

Download E-Book: Emissions Management Provides a Path to Achieving Environmental Sustainability Goals (emersonautomation.com)

Image credit: iStock.com/PetrBonek

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/waste/sponsored/emerson-s-expertise-helps-companies-achieve-environmental-sustainability-goals-1221723082

Environmental monitoring plays a key role in understanding, managing, and minimizing the impact an organization’s activities have on an environment.

Water quality monitoring is often recommended for road works to provide assurance of compliance with regulatory requirements and to ensure that environmental degradation does not occur because of the works. Where possible, pre-construction monitoring should be undertaken during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) phase of the project. During construction phase monitoring, the objectives are to identify if water quality problems are occurring as the result of construction activities and to demonstrate compliance with legal and other monitoring requirements including the water quality criteria and/or targets for the project. Monitoring is generally undertaken upstream and downstream of the works. As the construction works mainly have an impact on the receiving waters during times of site discharge, upstream and downstream samples should be taken as soon as practical following rainfall events. Rainfall events refer to times when runoff from the site is entering the receiving waters through on-site sedimentation controls such as silt fencing or windrows or when sedimentation basins require maintenance discharge to restore their design capacity. Samples are typically monitored in situ for pH and turbidity.

Turbidity measurements have the advantage of providing site management with immediate data, while total suspended solids (TSS) may take one week or more to be analysed and reported.

The use of field water quality multiparameter meters that house multiple sensors capable of simultaneous readings have become more prevalent as part of an effective monitoring program.

Hanna’s HI9829 is an ideal meter for field measurement. The kit is supplied in a rugged, drop-proof carrying case with sensor storage, beakers, and solutions for calibration. The HI9829 probe is waterproof (IP 68) and has a durable, weighted cap to protect sensors in field environments and ensure the probe sinks. The multiparameter meter can measure up to 12 parameters simultaneously, featuring a fixed temperature sensor and 3 sensor inputs: one potentiometric sensor input for pH, pH/ORP, or ISE sensor; one dissolved oxygen sensor input; and one electrical conductivity or electrical conductivity/turbidity sensor input.

HI9829

The use of Hanna’s microprocessor-based multiparameter intelligent probes with HI9829 will provide reliable data collection that can lead to an improved scientific understanding of the interconnections between natural, chemical and geological processes and manmade pollution to effectively evaluate applications for waste discharge permits, remediate contaminated sites and to protect or restore biological resources.

The HI76x9829 probes utilize field replaceable sensors with auto-recognition. The sensors are housed with the probe electronics in a rugged housing and a water-tight cable connection. The HI76909829 probe allows conductivity, pH/ORP (or an ISE), and dissolved oxygen measurement. Other probe models allow turbidity and logging. Probes with the logging function have a logging memory that allows storage of up to 140,000 individual samples or 35,000 complete sample data sets with date and time stamp thus permitting up to a 70-day deployment with all channels logging at 10-minute intervals. The probe incorporates a temperature sensor for temperature compensation of all parameters. The probes are available with a choice of cable lengths such as 4m, 10 m and 20 m that utilize a DIN connection to interface with the meters. Logging probes can be connected directly to a PC with a USB adapter cable, and PC application software to download log files directly from the probes.

Hanna offers a selection of seven sensors to be used on the intelligent probes. Sensor replacement is quick and easy with screw type connectors and are colour coded for easy identification. The HI7609829-4 EC/turbidity sensor is field replaceable and offers readings from both parameters at the same time.

All potentiometric sensors feature a double junction design and are gel filled to increase resistance to contamination. One of the ISE sensors can be used in place of the pH sensor and is automatically recognized. pH in mV readings is also displayed — which is useful for troubleshooting.

Reliable temperature measurements are a critical parameter of aquatic system monitoring. Temperature and temperature changes due to water releases can affect the ability of water to hold oxygen as well as the ability of organisms to resist certain pollutants. The intelligent probes incorporate an accurate thermistor that changes predictably with temperature changes. Accurate temperature reading in degrees Celsius, Fahrenheit and kelvin are displayed and utilized by other detectors for temperature correction.

Typical areas of application for the HI9829 include surface and groundwater monitoring in the construction industry and mining sector, wastewater monitoring in the food and beverage industry, leachate, surface and groundwater monitoring at landfill sites and water monitoring in lakes, estuaries and catchment areas.

For more information on Hanna’s HI9829 multiparameter meter, please visit: https://hannainst.com.au/hi9829-02-multiparameter-ph-ise-ec-do-turbidity-waterproof-meter-with-gps-option

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/sponsored/the-key-role-of-environmental-monitoring-in-construction-projects-684071803

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched the $43 million Industrial Energy Transformation Studies Program, which is aimed at identifying opportunities to reduce energy costs and emissions in the industrial sector.

Grant funding will be provided in two streams to support feasibility studies and engineering studies to establish the business case for replicable projects that demonstrate energy efficiency and renewable energy technology solutions for industry.

Applicants can seek $100,000 to $500,000 for feasibility studies or $250,000 to $5 million for engineering studies.

Funding will be made available to companies and organisations in the agriculture, mining, manufacturing, gas supply, water supply, waste services and data centre sectors.

These sectors are the largest users of energy in Australia, with around half of industrial energy used to produce process heat for industrial and other processes. Renewable energy adoption by industry can also be supported with energy storage including batteries, thermal and material storage and technologies that enable greater flexibility and responsiveness of energy demand, such as digitalisation and enhanced controls.

For more information about how to apply, visit the ARENA funding page.

Image credit: iStock.com/Laurence Dutton

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/sustainability/news/-43-million-to-help-industry-to-reduce-emissions-1008456666

Queensland’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on 28 September an ambitious $62 billion plan for the state to become an ‘energy superpower’ — setting new targets of 70% renewable energy by 2032 and 80% by 2035.

The targets will be legislated and are planned to deliver a 50% reduction in electricity sector emissions on 2005 levels by 2030; and a 90% reduction in electricity emissions by 2035–36.

$11bn of the investment in total to 2035 is going towards a new super grid.

“If our Bruce Highway is our backbone, the super grid will be our artery of the clean energy industrial revolution,” Palaszczuk said in her statement.

The super grid will support 22 gigawatts of new wind and solar power, which could mean that the state will have the largest capacity for renewable energy in the nation. Work will start next week with the Kaban Wind Farm being energised — part of the Far North Queensland Renewable Energy Zone.

The state is also investing in pumped hydro energy storage, with 5 GW of 24-hour storage and the potential for stage one to be completed by 2032.

According to the Climate Council, Queensland’s new Energy and Jobs Plan represents a great leap forward in delivering clean energy, thousands of jobs, and multimillion dollar economic opportunities for the Sunshine State.

“With its Energy Plan, Queensland has set itself up to cash in on the global transition away from polluting coal and gas, while bringing coal workers and regional communities along on the inevitable journey. It’s great to see that 95% of the $62 billion spent on this plan will be invested in the regions,” Amanda McKenzie, CEO of the Climate Council, said.

“This now puts Queensland ahead of the big states for their 2030 renewable energy targets. Queensland is now aiming for 60% by 2030, compared to Victoria which has pledged 50% by 2030 and no specific target for New South Wales.”

According to Palaszczuk, by 2035 when stage two comes online, Queensland will have no regular reliance on coal.

“Queensland, it’s our time to shine,” concluded Palaszczuk in her statement.

Image credit: iStock.com/Blablo101

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/news/sunshine-state-s-renewable-energy-plan-1604158609